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Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has heaped praise on Victor Osimhen after the Napoli striker’s match-winning hat-trick helped Nigeria secure a 4–0 victory over the Republic of Benin on October 14, Footynaija.com reports.
That win, Nigeria’s biggest against Benin in competitive fixtures, sealed the country’s place in the playoff round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria had come into the October international window under immense scrutiny. The team, sitting third in their qualification group with 11 points, had drawn games they were widely expected to win. Public confidence had dipped, and questions over leadership, preparation, and off-field politics hung heavily over the squad.
But a twist in the Confederation of African Football’s qualification format, which erased points gained against bottom-placed teams when calculating the best second-placed finishers, handed Nigeria an unexpected reprieve.
Eric Chelle’s side capitalised, first defeating Lesotho’s Crocodiles on matchday nine, and then facing Benin in Uyo knowing only a comprehensive victory would guarantee their playoff spot.
When the moment demanded a hero, Osimhen stepped up. The 2023 African Footballer of the Year produced a commanding performance, scoring three sensational goals to inspire a dominant win and push Nigeria through as the fourth-best second-placed team in the African qualifiers.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel praised Osimhen’s leadership and composure, calling him the driving force behind Nigeria’s World Cup survival.
“Our World Cup dream is still alive. I spoke about it before the two games. I said whatever is happening, whatever is going on with the FA, all the negativity, all the corruption and everything that is going on, those two games were must-win games, and we did that,” Mikel said.
“Credit to the boys, they absolutely did that and of course the main man (Victor Osimhen) we’ve talked about so many times on this podcast. Absolutely brilliant. Yes, it was against Benin, people can say he scored a hat-trick but you still have to score this hat-trick, you still have to show up. It was our biggest game of the season.
“If we didn’t win that game, we wouldn’t be talking about trying to qualify for the World Cup. Victor Osimhen has singlehandedly kept us alive. One of the biggest games, he’s come out and scored a hat-trick. You can see the intensity, passion, aggressiveness he shows. When the pressure is on, the big boys step up, and that’s exactly what he has done. He’s the big boy in that team right now, and we all needed him.”
Nigeria will face Gabon on November 13, before a potential clash with either Cameroon or DR Congo.
