“He’s the best”: Sunday Oliseh hails Victor Osimhen as Nigeria’s top talent

By Wale Mustapha

Former Nigeria captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, has declared Victor Osimhen as the best Nigerian player at the moment, following the striker’s stellar performance in Nigeria’s 4–0 thrashing of Benin Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Galatasaray striker stole the spotlight in Uyo, netting a hat-trick that propelled Nigeria into the CAF play-off round, keeping hopes alive for a place at the 2026 tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Oliseh praised Osimhen’s overall contribution to the national team and tipped him for a blockbuster move to the English Premier League if he maintains his current form.

“If Osimhen plays the next three or four games like he did against Benin, I can assure you that in the next one or two years, he will be heading to the Premier League. And they will buy him for crazy money,” Oliseh said.

Osimhen, who has previously been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, has continued to attract attention across Europe with his powerful style, work ethic, and goal-scoring prowess.

While acknowledging Ademola Lookman as the current CAF African Player of the Year, Oliseh maintained that Osimhen remains Nigeria’s most complete footballer in terms of raw ability and impact.

“He is the best player we have at the moment, even though Lookman is rated a bit above him because he is the African Player of the Year,” he added.

“But when you talk about quality and what a player brings to the game, Osimhen is the best.”

Osimhen will be crucial to Nigeria’s hopes in next month’s CAF play-off tournament in Morocco, where the Super Eagles must overcome Gabon in the semi-final to set up a potential final clash with either Cameroon or DR Congo for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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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