Victor Osimhen during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Super Eagles of Nigeria and Benin Republic at Godwill Akpabio Stadium on October 14, 2025 in Uyo, Nigeria. Photo by ImagoxNsidibe Akpan
Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen is just six goals behind Rashidi Yekini on the Nigeria record goalscorers list, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Galatasaray striker has scored 31 goals in 45 caps for the three-time AFCON winners, and his national teammate, Cyriel Dessers, is confident he’ll do more than what Yekini achieved for Nigeria.
Yekini was a part of the Nigerian team that qualified for their maiden World Cup show in 1994, and then played in the Mundial four years later as well.
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Dessers backs Osimhen to break Yekini’s Super Eagles record
In a winner-stays-on game with the Panathiniakos forward was quizzed about who made the most history in the green and white colours of Nigeria.
The former Rangers man picked Ahmed Musa over Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Osaze Odemwingie, John Utaka, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Boniface, Julius Aghahowa, Daniel Amokachi, and Victor Ikpeba.
In Dessers’ choice, Musa fell short against Nwankwo Kanu. The ex-Arsenal forward then fell short when compared to the legendary Rashidi Yekini.
Musa. Musa! Musa!!@CyrielDessers plays with iconic @NGSuperEagles strikers! pic.twitter.com/JD2WQ1yrzL
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The final pick was a showdown between Victor Osimhen and Rashidi Yekini, and Dessers backed his teammate to make history in the near future.
“I think Victor will top it in the future, so I’ll say Victor. But that’s a nice list, an unbelievable list,” the one-time SPFL winner said.
Can Victor Osimhen surpass Yekini’s legacy?
While the former Napoli forward is just six goals behind Yekini in Nigeria’s record goalscorer list, the influence Yekini wielded went beyond his goals on the pitch.
At the club level, in terms of trophies, Victor Osimhen stands tall, but it was Yekini who scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup in 1994, before leading them to another two years ago. He also won the AFCON tournament in 1994.
Victor Osimhen, alongside the rest of the current crop of Super Eagles players, have failed to qualify for two consecutive World Cup tournaments and even fell short of winning the AFCON in Ivory Coast a year ago, although they could make history in Morocco in the coming weeks.
With William Troost-Ekong out of the picture, only Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Francis Uzoho, who made Chelle’s 54-man preliminary AFCON list, have played at a World Cup.