“Greater goal scorer than Haaland” — Ex-Turkish star rates Victor Osimhen better

By Monsurah Olatunji

Turkish football commentator Nihat Kahveci has made a bold statement in rating Victor Osimhen as a greater goal scorer than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Kahveci, a former Besiktas forward, recognized the incredible goal-scoring feats of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Haaland, but he believes Osimhen’s all-around contributions make him stand out even more.

While Haaland is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and holds the Premier League record for most goals in a single season, Osimhen has been making waves in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he is currently the league’s top scorer with 20 goals — two more than his nearest rival, Kristof Piatek.

Kahveci lauded Osimhen’s ability not just to score, but also to contribute significantly to his teammates’ success, highlighting his leadership, team spirit, and passion.

“Names like Ronaldo, Mbappe, and Haaland can contribute to 26 goals in 30 matches. Osimhen’s contribution is incredible,” Nihat said. “When we look at his contributions on and off the field, his contribution to his teammates is very high.”

He continued: “We don’t just look at the issue from a scoreboard perspective. He says he represents Galatasaray very well; he helps his teammates when they are out of form.”

Nihat believes Osimhen’s unique qualities set him apart, noting the Nigerian forward’s sense of belonging, desire, and passion, which he feels goes beyond just his goal-scoring abilities.

“His sense of belonging, desire, and passion are very different. He made a generation a Galatasaray fan. Icardi did it, Osimhen continues. In my opinion, he is a greater goal scorer than Haaland.”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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