Outshining the legends: How Osimhen beat Messi, Ronaldo, Benzema, Drogba to first career 100

The Nigerian international has been in sensational form for Napoli all season, and he reached several new landmarks in Reggio nell’Emilia on Friday night

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen climbed to dizzying new heights on Friday evening following his goal in Napoli’s straightforward 2-0 victory over Sassuolo at the MAPEI Stadium – Città del Tricolore.

After brilliant teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nabbed the opener, Osimhen doubled Napoli’s advantage in the 33rd minute with an almost impossible strike.

Holding off the challenge of a Sassuolo defender, Osimhen created enough room to crash home a right-footed effort from a tight angle that beat goalkeeper Consigli on his near post.

The strike was Osimhen’s 18 league goal of an exceptional campaign, extending his lead at the top of the Serie A goalscorer chart to six goals. His closest challengers, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Inter Milan’s Lauraro Martinez, have each only managed 12 goals.

Interestingly, that goal against Sassuolo takes Victor Osimhen to 100 career goals since he turned a professional.

Not including the eleven goals he got for the Golden Eaglets on the way to helping Nigeria claim a fifth FIFA U17 World Cup in 2015, Osimhen has now bagged a century of goals in 198 appearances for three clubs and his country.

Living with the legends

Remarkably, it has taken Osimhen fewer games to reach his first 100 goals than PSG icon Lionel Messi (210 matches), Real Madrid ace Karim Benzema (235), Chelsea legend Didier Drogba (236), AC Milan great Zlatan Ibrahimovic (265), and Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (301).

Despite representing four clubs so far, Osimhen’s goals have been in the colours of three.

After leaving Wolfsburg without scoring in 16 games for the Germans, Osimhen notched 20 goals in 36 appearances for Belgium’s RSC Charleroi.

The Nigerian striker found the back of the net 18 times in 38 games for LOSC Lille, and, at the last count, he has scored 47 goals (and added 13 assists) in 85 matches for Napoli.

Osimhen has also registered 15 goals in 23 appearances for Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

The 24-year-old has scored in all but three of the competition he has played in, with the three being the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Coppa Italia.

However, the former Lille forward has made his mark in the Serie A (42 goals, the most of any Nigerian in the competition), Ligue 1 (13 goals), Jupiler Pro League (12), Champions League (3), Europa League (4), Coupe de la Ligue (2). Others include the Coupe de France (1), Jupiler Pro League playoff Europa League (3), JPL Playoff II (4), and Beker van Belgie (1).

Several individual awards have flowed in Osimhen’s direction after his excellent scoring run, including being awarded the 2022 Serie A Best Young Player, 2020 Prix Marc-Vivien Foé, and 2020 Lille Player of the Season, among others.

Barring a monumental collapse, Osimhen will win his first club honour this season as his Napoli are favourites to lift a first Serie A title in over thirty years.

The Neapolitans presently have a significant 18-point lead over second-place Inter Milan at the top of the Italian league table.