I have to be honest — Osayi-Samuel picks between Osimhen and Haaland

Bright Osayi-Samuel has weighed in on the ultimate striker debate, involving Victor Osimhen and Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Osayi-Samuel, who recently helped the Super Eagles secure a bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, admitted his perspective might be colored by national loyalty, but insisted the Galatasaray forward's impact extends far beyond the scoresheet.

Speaking in an interview with OmaSportsTV, the Birmingham City defender highlighted Osimhen's relentless work ethic and training intensity as the deciding factors.

“If I’m being honest, it’s Victor. I might be biased, but I believe many people don’t realize what he does during training,” Osayi-Samuel said.

“I think with Vic, it’s not just about when he has the ball; it’s also about what he does when he doesn’t. His pressing! I have never seen someone press the ball like he does and still get it.”

The 28-year-old fullback, who earned his 32nd cap for Nigeria during the recent AFCON tournament, described Osimhen's consistent pressure as a "special talent" that makes life easier for his teammates and a nightmare for opposition defenders.

“I think it’s a talent because he does it often, not just a couple of times. As a fullback, you could mess up the ball, but he still makes it into a good play because of how he runs and puts pressure on the opponent,” he added.

Osimhen has certainly backed up the praise with his performances in Turkey. The former Africa Footballer of the Year has been in lethal form for Galatasaray, netting 9 league goals this season, including 3 in his last four outings to keep the Istanbul giants at the top of the Super Lig.