Osimhen Prioritises Nigerian Success Over Personal Scoring Milestone
Victor Osimhen emphasised that his primary aim is securing victory in the Africa Cup of Nations rather than breaking Nigeria's all time leading goalscorer mark following his opening strike in the Super Eagles' 2 0 triumph against Algeria on Saturday.
The striker wearing a mask put Nigeria ahead in Marrakesh with his 35th international goal from 51 caps then assisted team mate Akor Adams for the second goal enabling the strong performing Super Eagles to progress to a semi final clash with host nation Morocco.
At 27 years old Osimhen is merely two strikes short of matching the 37 goal record set by the late Rashidi Yekini who featured in the 1994 AFCON winning Nigerian squad and participated in two World Cups.
"Absolutely not" responded Osimhen when questioned about whether surpassing that record occupied his thoughts ahead of Nigeria's upcoming Cup of Nations fixtures.
"I have repeatedly stated that equalling or exceeding it holds no significance for me" noted the former Napoli forward who has netted nine times across his previous eight outings for Nigeria encompassing the closing stages of World Cup qualifiers.
"Rashidi Yekini remains the greatest forward the Super Eagles has ever seen and my goal is simply to contribute maximally to the team.
"Being involved in creating history for the Super Eagles is incredible yet my focus is on achieving a title for my nation."
Osimhen who has tallied four goals over the past four AFCON encounters continued "My assurance stems from how I perform alongside my team mates but ultimately it is not the individual goals or setups that matter it is about claiming success with this group.
"We are progressing correctly although challenges lie ahead."
Nigeria faces Morocco in the semi finals next Wednesday in Rabat the location where their World Cup aspirations were dashed via a penalty shoot out loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo during a November play off.
Following their second straight unsuccessful World Cup qualification effort Nigeria has shown remarkable form securing all five group stage wins at this tournament while amassing 14 goals.
A wider victory over Algeria was possible given the multiple opportunities created in the opening 45 minutes prior to Osimhen's decisive moment shortly after the interval.
"I envisioned a specific playing style upon accepting the role and we now possess a clear team identity in possession and out of it" commented Egypt's Malian manager Eric Chelle.
"We might have led 2 0 by the break and displayed greater sharpness post interval with improved final passes.
"I am pleased and the squad is relishing the experience we must sustain this momentum."