Victor Osimhen: The Nigerian Goalscoring Scoring Sensation

Victor Osimhen is regarded as one of the best centre-forwards in European football. He has been compared to fellow young strikers Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak and Dusan Vlahovic.

Having been dropped from his local side before his exploits with Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, Osimhen has overcome disappointment and injuries in the early stage of his career.

Currently, Osimhen is one of the most sought-after players in the world today. Join us as we unveil the story of Nigeria’s multi-million-pound goalscoring machine and the best player in Africa Victor Osimhen.

Player Profile – Victor Osimhen

Victor James Osimhen is a world-class striker with exceptional finishing, pace, strength, and athleticism. He is considered one of the world’s top players and currently plays for Napoli in Serie A.

He has won several individual awards right from his early days with the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria. Osimhen has won the Serie A Best Young Player award, the Capocannoniere and Serie A Footballer of the Year Awards.

Victor Osimhen is the 2023 CAF African Footballer of the Year replacing two-time winner Sadio Mane. He also scored the most goals during the 2023 AFCON qualifying Campaign for Nigeria. Osimhen is the face of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Napoli in Italy.

Player Profile Overview

The Early Life of Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen was born on December 29, 1998 in Lagos. He’s the youngest child of Patrick and Christiana Osimhen. He had six other siblings, Andrew, Samson, Gloria, Esther, Joy and Blessing. Osimhen lost his mom when he was very little and his dad lost his job to make matters worse.

His older siblings had to do some menial jobs for the family to get by and Victor Osimhen himself had to sell sachet water popularly called “Pure water” in Nigeria. He also ran, cut grass and worked in a computer shop, a period of poverty and difficulty for the Osimhens.

Although his father wanted him to become a footballer, Osimhen always dreamt of playing football. He played with his older brothers using plastic bottles. Osimhen could not afford a pair of boots then and would often go through heaps of garbage to look for boots, trainers, or anything he could play in.

Victor Osimhen’s Playing Style

Victor Osimhen’s playing style utilizes explosive pace, strong aerial ability, and clinical finishing in front of goal. His speed and agility make him a constant threat to opposition defences. This allows him to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Osimhen has good holdup play, He has the physicality and ability to hold up the ball making him an effective target man. He is capable of bringing others into play and contributing to the build-up of attacking moves.

In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Osimhen’s game includes a high work rate and willingness to press opponents. Overall, Osimhen’s playing style is a combination of speed, strength, and technical ability, making him a formidable presence on the field.

Youth Career

Victor Osimhen started his youth career in Lagos, playing for Ultimate Strikers Academy. Osimhen was initially dropped by his manager after which he went to take part in the mass trials for the Nigeria U17. He was part of Nigeria’s contingents to the FIFA U17 World Cup in

Following his stellar performances for the Golden Eaglets at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Osimhen committed to a pre-contract agreement with VfL Wolfsburg. According to the contract,  Osimhen would officially join the Bundesliga side in January 2017.

Senior Career

In January 2017, Victor Osimhen signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Wolfsburg. However, due to an injury upon his arrival, he made his Bundesliga debut on May 13, 2017. He came on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Victor Osimhen also played in a crucial relegation match against Hamburger SV, which Wolfsburg lost, resulting in a relegation playoff with Eintracht Braunschweig. Osimhen appeared in both playoff matches, helping Wolfsburg secure their Bundesliga status. In the first half of the 2017–18 season, he was named in 12 matchday squads, making 5 appearances.

He earned his full Bundesliga debut on January 28, 2018, and made two more starts during the season. However, he missed out on the relegation playoff due to injury.

Osimhen also made an appearance in Wolfsburg’s DFB Pokal campaign before undergoing shoulder surgery in May 2018, ending his season with 12 Bundesliga appearances. He played 16 matches for the club but did not score a single goal.

From Wolfsburg to Charleroi on Loan

Victor Osimhen underwent summer trials with Belgian clubs Zulte Waregem and Club Brugge, however, he joined Charleroi on a season-long loan deal in August 2018. His physical condition was affected by malaria, which led to unsuccessful stints at Wolfsburg.

He made his debut as a substitute against Excel Mouscron and scored his first professional goal against Waasland-Beveren. Osimhen continued to impress, scoring crucial goals and finishing the first half of the season with 8 goals in 16 games.

Following his successful loan spell, Charleroi exercised their option to sign Osimhen permanently after he scored 20 goals in 36 appearances.

Victor Osimhen Moves to LOSC Lille

Lille confirmed the transfer of Victor Osimhen on August 1, 2019, amidst interest from several European clubs, signing him to a five-year contract for a reported fee of €12 million plus bonuses.

Osimhen made an impressive start at Lille, scoring braces in his Ligue 1 debut against Nantes and in another match against Saint-Étienne. He was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month for September 2019 and scored his first UEFA Champions League goal against Chelsea.

Osimhen’s speed on the pitch was highlighted in a league report, and he finished the season as Lille’s top scorer with 13 goals in domestic matches and 18 goals in all competitions.

His stellar performance earned him the 2020 Prix Marc-Vivien Foé for the best African player in the French championship, and he was also awarded Lille’s Player of the Season by fans. His achievements have positioned him as a strong contender for future African Footballer of the Year awards.

Playing in the Serie A with Napoli

Napoli signed Victor Osimhen on 31 July 2020 for a club-record fee of €70 million potentially rising to €80 million with add-ons, making him the most expensive African transfer to date. He scored his first goal for Napoli on 17 October in a 4–1 win against Atalanta, using the moment to call for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.

During an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game in November 2020, Osimhen sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two months. While recovering, he contracted COVID-19 during birthday celebrations in Nigeria.

This, coupled with his shoulder injury, kept him out of action until January 2021. Osimhen made a return in Napoli’s Coppa Italia win against Spezia. In September 2021, he scored a brace in a Europa League match against Leicester City.

However, in November 2021, he suffered a serious head injury and fractured skull and eye socket in a match against Inter Milan, forcing him to miss the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the setback, he wore a protective mask and finished the season with 14 Serie A goals and 18 goals in all competitions.

Victor Osimhen Wins the Capocannoniere and Serie A title

Victor Osimhen made a significant impact for Napoli during the 2022-2023 season. He showcased his talent by scoring his first Champions League goal in a crucial match against Ajax, securing Napoli’s qualification to the knockout phase.

Osimhen continued his impressive form by netting his first Serie A hat-trick in a victory over Sassuolo and later becoming Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in Serie A. He played a pivotal role in Napoli’s dominant performances, including a memorable win over Juventus where he scored twice and assisted another goal.

Victor Osimhen reached several milestones throughout the season, including scoring his 100th career goal and setting records for Napoli in the Serie A era. In the Champions League, he played a key role in Napoli’s progression to the quarter-finals by scoring three goals over two legs against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Osimhen’s contributions were crucial as Napoli clinched the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years, with his goal against Udinese confirming their championship win.

He also made history by becoming the joint-highest goalscoring African player in Serie A alongside George Weah. Osimhen set a new record for the most goals by an African player in a single Italian championship season, surpassing Samuel Eto’o.

Victor Osimhen finished the season as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals, becoming the first African player to achieve this feat.

Victor Osimhen Extends His Stay

Victor Osimhen showcased his scoring prowess for Napoli during the 2023-24 season. He kicked off the regular season with a brace against Frosinone and continued to make an impact, despite a hamstring injury that sidelined him for several games.

Osimhen returned to action, assisting in a victory over Atalanta and scoring in a crucial Champions League match against Braga. He extended his contract with Napoli until 2026 and later faced a setback with a red card against Roma.

However, he bounced back impressively with a hat-trick against Sassuolo. Osimhen’s performances earned him high praise from analysts, his manager Luciano Spalletti, and fellow players like Romelu Lukaku and Odion Ighalo.

He has been hailed as one of the top strikers in Serie A, drawing comparisons to legendary players like Pelé and citing Didier Drogba as one of his influences.

International Career

Victor Osimhen started his international career with the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria. He was a member of the Naija U17 team that won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

During the tournament, Victor Osimhen won the Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals in seven games. He also won the Silver Ball award behind international teammate Kelechi Nwakali.

He made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2017 but missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to inconsistency at Wolfsburg. However, after a successful loan spell at Charleroi, he returned to the national team and made significant contributions, including scoring three goals against Libya in 2019.

Osimhen was part of Nigeria’s squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he played a role in their third-place finish. He started the qualification campaign for the 2023 AFCON in impressive form, scoring goals against Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe, finishing as the top scorer with 10 goals.

He continued his scoring streak in the tournament itself, netting a goal in Nigeria’s opening match against Equatorial Guinea. However, he would fail to score in the tournament as Nigeria lost to Cote D’Ivoire 2-1 in the final.

Nigeria’s captain Troost-Ekong put the Super Eagles in front in the match before goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller won the game for the Ivoriens.

Government Honours and Ballon d’Or Nomination

Since debuting for Nigeria at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Victor Osimhen contributed immensely to Nigeria’s successes on the football pitches. He made his senior international debut in June 2017 and has scored several goals for Nigeria.

Victor Osimhen is currently the joint-third all-time highest goalscorer for the Nigeria national team. In May 2023, Osimhen’s services to his country were honoured with the title of Member of the Federal Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Furthermore, Victor Osimhen’s achievements were recognized globally as he finished eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony. He became the first Nigerian to enter the top ten of the prestigious award.

Additionally, he was named African Footballer of the Year at the 2023 CAF Awards, the first Nigerian since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999 to receive this accolade.

Personal life Of Victor James Osimhen

Victor Osimhen is in a relationship with German Stefanie Kim Ladewig with whom he welcomed a daughter Haly, in 2022. The Nigeria striker has a humble and funny personality and even jokes a lot on his social media accounts much like his international teammate Victor Boniface.

Osimhen is a Philanthropist and is often seen giving back to the local communities in Nigeria. He even spoke of his desire to help his countrymen, citing Saido Mane’s philanthropic acts in Senegal as an Example. The Nigerian Government also awarded him the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.

Conclusion

The Nigerian sensation has only just begun to scratch the surface of his immense potential. With his lightning-quick speed, clinical finishing, and unwavering dedication, Osimhen has etched his name into the annals of football history.

He is inspiring a generation of young players from the streets of Lagos to the pitches of Europe. From the humble beginnings of his childhood to the bright lights of the Serie A and the international stage. Victor Osimhen’s story is a testament to the power of hard work, perseverance, and an unrelenting passion for the beautiful game.

As he continues to soar to new heights, leaving defenders in his wake and goals in his trail, one can only wonder what the future holds for this talented trailblazer.

For now, Osimhen’s legacy is cemented – a beacon of hope for Nigerian football, a hero to millions, and a reminder that with talent, determination, and a never-say-die attitude, even the most impossible dreams can become a reality.

The Osimhen story is far from over, and as the world waits with bated breath, one thing is certain – Victor Osimhen will continue to thrill, inspire, and leave an indelible mark on the world of football.