How soon can Victor Osimhen break Rashidi Yekini’s goal record?

Galatasaray loanee Victor Osimhen is steadily closing in on Rashidi Yekini’s long-standing record as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer, Soccernet.ng reports.

Meanwhile, his recent record for the Nigerian national team suggests that he could break the legendary striker’s tally sooner than expected.

The 25-year-old, currently tied for second place with Segun Odegbami, having scored 23 goals for the Super Eagles against Benin Republic, now has his sights set on surpassing Yekini’s 37-goal mark.

Although, as earlier reported by Soccernet.ng, the former LOSC Lille forward is unfazed about clinching the all-time goal-scoring record.

“I really don’t care about this,” Osimhen stated. “I just want to do my job, try to win games, score goals, and provide assists for my team. And then, if I equal it, that’s it. But that doesn’t take away the fact that Rashidi Yekini is the greatest striker the Super Eagles have ever had because this record stood for a very long time and is still standing. We should give that man his flowers and also celebrate him.”

Meanwhile, with just 14 goals to go, Osimhen has shown no signs of slowing down, averaging more than one goal per match for the national team.

To surpass Yekini’s all-time record, the Napoli-owned forward would need to score approximately 1.4 goals per match.

This means that, on average, Osimhen would need to score one goal in one match and then another 40% of a goal in the next match to keep pace.

However, since goals are counted in whole numbers, he would need to score at least one goal in most matches and occasionally net two goals in others. This would average out to approximately 1.4 goals per match over time.

At his current rate, Osimhen is on track to break the record by 2025 or early 2026 if he is available to play for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

As the Super Eagles prepare for their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda, all eyes will be on Osimhen as he continues his quest to surpass Yekini’s record.