One of the best Nigerian strikers to ever play in the Premier League, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, is confident that the Lille forward can rise to become one of the finest in the world.
Former Everton ace Aiyegbeni sees no reason why Victor Osimhen cannot score the goals to beat the current record set by the legendary Rashidi Yekini.
Yekini’s Super Eagles goal record stands at the 37-goal mark. Despite Aiyegbeni netting 97 goals to retain a lofty spot behind only Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor as the most prolific African in the English Premier League, he could only manage 21 strikes for Nigeria.
That goal haul also places ‘The Yak’ third on the all-time goal record for Nigeria behind Yekini and Segun Odegbami, who found the net 22 times for the three-time African champions.
Osimhen has garnered four goals in nine appearances since making his debut for coach Gernot Rohr’s side, but he’s still a massive 33 goals short of Yekini’s mark.
Aiyegbeni admits he sees a similarity in the thirst for goals between Yekini and Osimhen, but he has counselled that Nigerians should show the 21-year-old more patience and tolerance so that he could tear the record books apart.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Aiyegbeni told Goal.
“He can if given the chance to play, and I hope they can let him play in the Super Eagles for more years.
“After he has played for three to five years, Nigerians will say things like ‘he’s old, we’re looking for younger players.
“I hope they will encourage this boy and give him a chance to show his potential in the national team.
“Sometimes he will play and not get the goals, hope they can still invite him because right now, he is one of the best strikers we have in the Nigerian team.”