Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen is more determined than ever to go all the way at the ongoing CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). After Thursday’s 1-0 win over the host country, the reigning Africa Player of the Year is optimistic that the Eagles will soar for the rest of the competition. Against the country of his idol Didier Drogba, Osimhen was outstanding and would have scored, but did enough to win a penalty, which, skipper William Troost-Ekong fired in for the lone goal of the match.
The 25-year-old believes that Super Eagles have what it takes to win the fourth title since 2013.
“The Super Eagles have a history closely linked to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Since 2013, we’ve been looking for another title, and that’s over a decade, which is a long time for a football-mad country like Nigeria. We are the country of Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, our illustrious elders to whom we are heirs, and we owe it to ourselves to restore this image so dear to our hearts,” the Napoli striker told Cafonline.com.
“A lot of people, myself included, have high hopes for our generation. We know what we’re capable of, we know what we want. Côte d’Ivoire is a wonderful country, but we’re not here as tourists.”
He says it would be a dream come true for him to win the AFCON trophy. “It would be one of the best moments of my life.”
“I have done that with Napoli, I have made history, but no matter what I do, no matter how many goals I have scored, to be able to win the AFCON, I would go a long way in my life but probably when I do that I am done,” he admitted.
“I am really looking forward to winning something with the Super Eagles.”
Osimhen is, naturally, the focus of most attention around the Nigerian squad after his exploits with Napoli, scoring 26 goals last season to lead them to their first Scudetto since 1990.
“I have aimed high all my life while growing up, and this pressure comes naturally. I am the kind of person who doesn’t fold under pressure,” he said while speaking at the Nigerian team hotel overlooking Abidjan’s Cocody Bay.
“As the pressure comes I take it into my head to try to give my best and do well for myself.
“So far so good, I have been doing well for my club and country, which I feel like is the most important thing,” said Osimhen, who pipped Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah to the African player prize.
“To win the African Player of the Year is just the dream of every young African player. For me to have won it shows the kind of things I have put in, the hard work, the sweat, the tears.
“For me, it is really a dream come true,” he added, appearing relaxed having just finished another interview with Togo’s 2008 African footballer of the year, Emmanuel Adebayor.
Kanu, Okocha as inspirations
The lithe forward spearheads a Super Eagles side packed full of attacking talent and the aim for Osimhen is to lead them to their first AFCON crown since 2013.
Doing that would allow him to take his place alongside Nigerian greats such as Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha, the latter part of the team that won the 1994 Cup of Nations.
“I used to speak with Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha. I think I owe a lot of my success to them because they have been sort of an inspiration to me while growing up,” said Osimhen, who announced himself as the top scorer at the Under-17 World Cup in 2015.
“To be up there in the same category as them — not that I am better than them in terms of football, but in terms of what I have achieved — I think is huge for me.”
Osimhen is fresh from signing a new contract at Napoli, where he insists he is happy and has “a good relationship” with President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
His previous AFCON experiences have been frustrating, as he hardly featured when Nigeria –- with Odion Ighalo leading the attack — finished third in 2019 and then missed the 2022 edition altogether.
“In 2019 when I came, Ighalo was there. He is a big brother to me, so it was important for me to go through this learning process from him, to get this experience,” Osimhen said.
“I was supposed to be there in Cameroon, but of course, I had my facial injury.
“Now I am here. It is a dream come true for me. I don’t want to put myself in the centre but of course, a lot of people say this. I think I am more of a team player.
“I think we have the quality to make sure we have a very good tournament that we can be proud of.”
Osimhen scored as Nigeria were held by Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A game, a result that increased the pressure before facing the hosts.
“The first game was really disappointing,” he said. “Going forward we need to make sure we get it right in the next game, which is against a tougher opponent.”