Victor Osimhen's AFCON Mission: Unfinished business for Nigeria's star

For Nigeria star Victor Osimhen, this year’s AFCON in Morocco feels different for obvious reasons, as he carries the weight of a football-loving nation. 

Osimhen is Nigeria’s biggest star, and knows that he has to play out of his skin if the Super Eagles are to win their fourth AFCON title in Morocco. 

The Super Eagles are not favourites for the title even with Osimhen, but there is no way they can go all the way without the Galatasaray at his best, considering the team’s recent record in his absence. 

Take the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, for example, the Super Eagles failed to win their first four games in the campaign, with Osimhen missing all four games. 

It was not until the fifth game that the three-time African champions won their first game, thanks to Osimhen’s brace against Rwanda. 

In fact, the only match Osimhen played during the World Cup qualifiers for Nigeria, and the team failed to win, was the 1-1 home draw against Zimbabwe. 

Osimhen is so important for Nigeria that in the last six years alone, only one Super Eagles coach has won a competitive fixture in which he either was unavailable or played less than 30': Austin Eguavoen.

Considering these damning stats, it is fair to say that where the Super Eagles finish in this year’s AFCON depends on how far Osimhen can carry them. 

However, while this is true, this AFCON is important to Osimhen as much as it is to Nigeria because his legacy is at stake. 

Despite all the talk about his importance to the team, Osimhen still lacks a proud legacy with the Super Eagles. Yes, he is one of the best talents Nigeria has ever produced, but he has not achieved GOAT status yet for obvious reasons. 

Despite his brilliance in Nigeria’s colours and at club level, Osimhen has not yet shown out for Nigeria at a major international tournament. 

The former Napoli striker has not played for Nigeria at the World Cup and has only played one full AFCON campaign for the country, despite making his debut for the country in 2017. 

In fairness, he is not solely responsible for his little to no show at a major tournament for the Super Eagles. 

He missed out on the 2018 World Cup squad because he was still developing as a player during that period. Although he made the 2019 AFCON squad, he only played 45 minutes in the entire campaign, coming on as a substitute in the third-place match against Tunisia. 

The 2021 AFCON should have been his moment, but Osimhen missed that after breaking his face while playing for Napoli in a Serie A match. The 26-year-old also missed out on the 2022 World Cup after Ghana beat Nigeria in the final playoff. 

With the Super Eagles missing the 2022 World Cup, Osimhen’s proper tournament experience with Nigeria was at the 2023 AFCON, which took place in January last year. 

While that tournament was supposed to be his, Osimhen could only manage just one goal in the whole campaign as Nigeria finished runners-up. 

Although one could argue that he was unlucky to miss the 2021 AFCON and 2018 World Cup, the truth is that availability is just as important as productivity. 

He currently has 31 goals in 45 appearances for Nigeria, but only one was scored in a major tournament, and that does not strengthen his case to be among Nigerian greats. 

This is why the 2025 AFCON is important for his legacy. Every great player has always turned up for their country when it matters, and for Osimhen, the same is expected. 

For all of Messi’s greatness, he was not unanimously accepted as the GOAT or Greatest Argentine of all time until he won titles with Argentina. 

So, if Osimhen wants to have a secure legacy as a Super Eagles player, he needs to make AFCON 2025 his own. 

Although one could argue that he will get another chance if he does not perform, the truth is that Osimhen will not get many chances in the future as he turns 27 in a few weeks. 

This means by the time next AFCON comes around, he will be pushing 30, which is why this AFCON is his moment. 

Yes, he does not necessarily have to win it, but he needs to create moments because great players are defined by big moments on the biggest stage.