By Saheed Afolabi
Former Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has expressed his belief that Victor Osimhen has the potential to surpass Rashidi Yekini’s all-time goal record for the Super Eagles.
Osimhen, who recently equaled Segun Odegbami’s tally of 23 goals, is now just 14 goals shy of Yekini’s record of 37 goals, which remains the highest by any Nigerian player in the national team’s history.
Adepoju, who was a key figure in Nigeria’s golden generation, is confident that Osimhen is on the verge of making history and is poised to break Yekini’s long-standing record.
The former Shooting Stars chairman praised Osimhen’s commitment and work ethic, qualities he believes will help the 25-year-old striker reach new heights.
“Osimhen has all it takes to break Yekini’s record,” Adepoju told SuperSport.
“He’s a very committed player, gives everything for the national team, and so it’s very possible for him to break Yekini’s record.”
With Osimhen continuing to shine at club level for Napoli and remaining a key player for the Super Eagles, Adepoju’s prediction looks increasingly likely as the striker continues his ascent in Nigerian football history.
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.
