William Troost-Ekong has showered praise on “very special” Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen after the striker once again delivered for Nigeria in their push to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
Osimhen, widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football, is always the heartbeat of Nigeria’s attack whenever he’s available.
The Super Eagles felt his absence during the opening phase of the qualifiers, where he missed the first four games and the team’s performances suffered as a result.
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But his return for the decisive stretch of the qualifying campaign completely flipped the narrative as he scored six goals in five matches to propel Nigeria into the play-offs.
The Galatasaray man delivered once more on Thursday, scoring a crucial brace in the play-offs semi-final win over Gabon. And Troost-Ekong, speaking to Shina Oludare, had nothing but admiration for Osimhen’s impact on the national team.
What Troost-Ekong said about Victor Osimhen
“I don’t always feel comfortable singling out players, but Victor is a very special player,” the Al Kholood defender said.
“For me, he’s the best forward in the world right now, and I can’t just put that down to the last goals he’s scored over these past two games. Consistently, he’s brought so much to the team over the past two years that he’s been the main forward for Nigeria.
“Going back to his first camp with us during the 2019 AFCON, he’s gained great experience, but he’s always been that same hungry player from the beginning.
“His confidence has grown, he’s perfected his skills, but what makes Victor stand out for me is the hunger and determination he’s had from day one. It’s part of his upbringing and who he is as a person, and it’s great to have a player like that in the team.
“He’s grown into an important leader for us, and I think his legacy will be big for Nigeria. But he needs other players around him. He’s not playing alone and sometimes that’s forgotten. Still, he’s done very well.”
The Super Eagles are gearing up for the play-offs final against DR Congo and they’ll be hoping Osimhen can produce the goods once again when both teams clash at the Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex in Rabat.
