‘I brought Osimhen into the team’ - Ex-Super Eagles coach boasts after hattrick hero crushed World Cup dream

The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed a resounding 4-0 victory over Benin Republic on Tuesday at the Uyo Township Stadium.

Osimhen, who was in top form, was at the heart of the team's remarkable win, pushing them to the FIFA World Cup playoffs.

The Galatasaray star scored a hat-trick against the Cheetahs, ending Rohr’s team's World Cup aspirations. 

Rohr has reminded everyone that he was the one who first called the prolific forward into the Super Eagles squad at just 17 years old.

The former Super Eagles coach recalled giving the young striker his first senior international opportunity. 

In September 2016, just before his 18th birthday, Osimhen was named in the 23-man squad for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania, having already won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, as shared on X, and reported by Daily Sports, Rohr expressed mixed feelings about Osimhen's decisive performance against his current team.

"We tried, but when you have such a good player like Osimhen... I remember when I brought Osimhen into the team, he was 17, here in our first game against Tanzania," Rohr stated. "I'm very happy to see him like that, but I'm not happy he did it against me. But I hope he can do it in the playoffs for your country, which I love."

The German coach acknowledged the disappointment of the result, which officially ended Benin's dream of a historic first-ever World Cup appearance.

"There was a big disappointment because we wanted to go to the World Cup with our country Benin for the first time in history. We could not; we had to win here," he explained. "To win in Nigeria when Nigeria is also playing for the playoffs is something very difficult."

With his latest goals, Osimhen's international tally now stands at an impressive 29 goals in 44 appearances for the Super Eagles.