Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has hailed the late Rashidi Yekini as Nigeria’s greatest striker, despite being on the verge of breaking the legendary forward’s long-standing goalscoring record for the Super Eagles.
Osimhen recently equaled Segun Odegbami as Nigeria’s joint second-highest goalscorer with 23 goals, following his strike in the 1-1 draw against Benin Republic last Thursday.
However, the 25-year-old still trails Yekini’s impressive tally of 37 goals from 62 appearances for Nigeria, a record that has stood for nearly three decades.
In a video posted on social media, Osimhen made it clear that surpassing Yekini’s record would not diminish the former Olympiakos star’s legacy.
“No, no. I really don’t care about this. I just want to do my job and try to win games, score goals, and provide a lot of assists for my team,” Osimhen said.
“Then if I equal it, I equal it, if I surpass it, I surpass it, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Rashidi Yekini is the greatest striker the Super Eagles have ever had. This record stood for a very, very long time and it still stands, so I think we should give him his flowers and also celebrate him.”
Yekini, who etched his name in Nigerian football history by scoring the country’s first-ever World Cup goal in 1994, dominated African football in his prime. He won the Africa Cup of Nations top scorer award in consecutive tournaments in 1992 and 1994, establishing himself as one of the continent’s all-time greats. His 37-goal tally has remained untouched for nearly 30 years, underscoring the magnitude of his achievement.
Osimhen, who has become one of Africa’s most feared strikers, has scored the majority of his 23 international goals in AFCON qualification matches, highlighting his key role in Nigeria’s national team success.
Despite his rising profile, Osimhen’s attempt to close the gap on Yekini’s record suffered a setback when he failed to find the net in Nigeria’s surprise 2-1 defeat to Rwanda in Uyo on Monday, after coming on as a 77th-minute substitute.
With many games still ahead in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Osimhen, with time on his side, could well surpass Yekini’s remarkable record in the coming years.
While Osimhen’s pursuit of the record is closely watched by fans, his tribute to Yekini highlights his respect for the iconic striker’s enduring legacy in Nigerian football.
