Nigeria football icon Segun Odegbami says Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are both on the path of football greatness following their excellent displays in recent times, Soccernet.ng reports.
Odegbami, however, believes Atalanta BC star Lookman may be further ahead of Osimhen in their ascent towards the great heights of the beautiful game.
Osimhen took his football to exciting new levels over the past year as his goals powered Napoli to their first Scudetto triumph in over three decades, while he became the first African to win the Italian Serie A top goal scorer award.
The former Lille forward's efforts were further recognised when he was named the Africa Footballer of the Year, the first Nigerian to secure that achievement since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
However, Odegbami thinks the most valuable player on the continent has still not made the mental transition into the realm of the great players.
“That’s the slight shortfall, so far, in Victor Osimhen’s place in football till now,” Odegbami said, as per Complete Sports.
“He is a very good player but still on the periphery of greatness despite his becoming Africa’s best player and his stellar goalscoring in Napoli.
“When he makes that final mental transition, when he becomes fully aware of his capability and starts to play deliberately with ease, confidence, and composure, he will immediately join the ranks of the gods of African football.”
For Odegbami, though, Ademola Lookman has shown, with his display in the Europa League final last week that he has overcome that mental block.
Lookman struck a sensational hat-trick – the first of any African in a European final – to guide underdogs Atalanta BC to an emphatic 3-0 victory over Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen. That defeat was the only one Bayer Leverkusen suffered in their 53 games across three competitions during the 2023/24 campaign.
The Super Eagles striker played with supreme confidence and took all his goals with such classy composure that he was named the Man of the Match.
That excellent performance, coupled with his brilliance at the 2023 AFCON, where he was Nigeria's most productive player with three goals and an assist, convinced Odegbami Lookman is now in the ‘territory of the gods' of football.
“Last Sunday night, during the final match of the Europa Cup, Ademola Lookman who flew like an eagle, may have transited into that realm,” Odegbami added.
“His three great goals, with a historic victory for his team to boot, may have taken him to the edge of greatness. In 90 minutes, at the moment of his club’s greatest challenge in football, he earned the transition rights through his performance.
“It is not easy to score a goal in football. To score two goals is extremely difficult. To score three in the finals of a European Club championship is a ‘miracle’.
“I listened to Ademola Lookman after the match when he addressed the press. I saw in his eyes and heard in his voice, the evidence of his metamorphosis from a really ‘good’ player to a ‘great’ one, going forward. Ademola will never be the same player again.
“In a quantum leap, he finally completed what he started at AFCON 2023. Now, he is in the territory of the gods of the ‘Beautiful game’.
“I congratulate him and wish him great days ahead in his football. It is now that Nigeria will start to enjoy and benefit from the greatness of the man.”
Lookman ended the 2023/24 season with 16 goals and nine assists across 44 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta.
NB: Do you agree with Odegbami that Lookman is closer to achieving greatness than Osimhen? Leave your comments below.
the problem now is how to beat south Africa and Benin.. with wat I m seeing here in Cape Town. where the south Africa are training. emphasis is how to lock up the following eagles players of which iwobi is the center . the two players to mark oshimen, in front and back and tactics to stop lookman from initiating a dangerous move are being practiced
the only player dey are not been told how to mark are those eagles on injury list .
the guys. in camp are given extra tip by coaches from Europe arrange by safa
ndidi weak point are studied .which the Portuguese trainer said he is going forward
again chukeze movement is monitored with a gadget.
lookman is a great player inspite the fact that he scored three goals in Europa final does not make him to be greater than osimen that’s a fact osimen shown a great striking power in all matches he has been playing and that leads to his highest goal scorer in Italy last season and lead napoli to their scudero and won African best that’s incomparable
lookman is a great player inspite the fact that he scored three goals in Europa final does not make him to be greater than osimen that’s a fact osimen shown a great striking power in all matches he has been playing and that leads to his highest goal scorer in Italy last season and lead napoli to their scudero and won African best that’s incomparable
Fantastic analysis from the legend mathematic segun odegbami.
Nigeria is now blessed with good stickers in victor osimen,ademola lookman and victor Boniface.
l hope Nigeria will get their best to enable us qualify for world cup 2026 in America
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Segun Odegbami is on point. Oshimen can be greater than he is presently but he needs to play with more composure and confidence. Ademopa lookman is registering himself in African Players’ Hall of Fame. Kudos to him.
I am in total agreement with the mathematical Segun Odegbami. Both Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are great strikers. They are edging towards greatness. I only hope that coach Finidi George will be able to manage them to achieve his goal of qualifying us for the world cup. I wish both guys, that is, Victor and Ademola the very best in their careers.
People should stop this kind of analysis if we want a unites national team. This shouldn’t be coming from Bug Sheg.
People should stop this kind of analysis if we want a unites national team. This shouldn’t be coming from Big Sheg.
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