Champions League: Where does Victor Osimhen rank among Nigeria’s greatest goalscorers?

The Nigerian international made the headlines in midweek after hitting the target in Napoli’s crucial win in Germany

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen swept home Napoli’s first goal in their 2-0 triumph away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash on Tuesday.

Osimhen’s pace gave him the advantage over Frankfurt’s two centre-backs, and he arrived on time to turn Hirving Lozano’s perfect cross into the net.

The goal was Osimhen’s second goal in four appearances in the Champions League this season, and his fourth overall.

Osimhen’s first-ever goal in Europe’s premier club competition was in the colours of LOSC Lille in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on October 2nd, 2019, in a Group H clash.

He hit the target again for the French side in another 4-1 loss to Valencia on matchday four of that group-stage campaign.

Osimhen has not played in the Champions League since then, only returning to grace the competition with Napoli this term. And the 24-year-old striker got his third goal in Napoli’s 4-2 win over Ajax on matchday four before registering that opener against Frankfurt.

Nigeria’s best strikers in the UCL

With four goals, Osimhen has climbed to fifth on the Champions League’s all-time top-scorer table for Nigerian players.

Nigeria’s greatest goalscorer in the competition is former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins. Martins truck nine goals in 34 matches across six seasons, all in the colours of Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Martins is followed by former Monaco goal machine Victor Ikpeba, who registered seven goals in 19 appearances.

The third spot is shared by English Premier League greats Nwankwo Kanu and Yakubu Aiyegbeni, with five goals each. Aiyegbeni’s goal record of five goals in five games for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa is easily the most impressive of the Nigerian lot.

Kanu’s five goals arrived in 60 appearances for Ajax and Arsenal.

After Osimhen in fifth, there is the quartet of Ahmed Musa, Tijani Babangida, Emmanuel Dennis, and Shola Ameobi on three UCL goals.

And rounding up the top ten are the active trio of Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho, Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, and Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi.

Nigeria’s all-time top scorers in the Champions League

1 . Obafemi Martins – 9 goals
2 . Victor Ikpeba – 7 goals
3 . Nwankwo Kanu – 5 goals
4 . Yakubu Aiyegbeni – 5 goals
5 . Victor Osimhen – 4 goals
6 . Ahmed Musa – 3 goals
7 . Tijani Babangida – 3 goals
8 . Emmanuel Dennis – 3 goals
9 . Shola Ameobi – 3 goals
10. Kelechi Iheanacho – 2 goals
10. Samuel Chukwueze – 2 goals
10. Zaidu Sanusi – 2 goals