Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been making waves in the UEFA Champions League this season, matching the record for the most goals scored by a Nigerian player in a single season.
With five goals under his belt, Osimhen has equaled the record set by Obafemi Martins during his time with Inter Milan in the 2004/05 season.
His impressive performances have been instrumental in Napoli’s pursuit of European glory this season.
Osimhen began his goal-scoring spree in the group stage, scoring in Napoli’s 4-2 win over Ajax.
He then scored in the first leg of the round of 16 match against Eintracht Frankfurt, helping Napoli secure a crucial 2-0 win away from home.
Osimhen continued his goal-scoring run in the return leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, netting two goals in a 3-0 victory.
His most recent goal came in Napoli’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan in the quarter-finals, where he scored a stoppage-time equaliser for his team.
Osimhen’s achievement is significant as he has matched the record set by one of Nigeria’s most prolific goal-scorers, Obafemi Martins.
Before Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni held the record for the most goals scored by a Nigerian player in a single Champions League season, with four goals for Maccabi Haifa in the 2002/03 season.
Victor Ikpeba also scored four goals for AS Monaco in the 1997/1998 season, while Tijani Babangida scored three goals for Ajax in the 1996/1997 season.
Although Napoli is out of the Champions League, Osimhen will now focus on the Italian Serie A, where the team is on track to win their first title in over 30 years.
Osimhen is the favorite to become the first African player to win the top scorer award in the Italian top flight, with 21 goals, seven more than his closest challenger.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
