Former Nigerian international Odion Ighalo has described Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen as the biggest player in the senior national team.
Ighalo stated this on the backdrop of his brilliant performance in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Algeria in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
Recall that the Galatasaray striker scored a goal and provided an assist for Akor Adams to also score. It was Osimhen’s fourth goal at the tournament.
Reacting after the game, Ighalo, who was a guest on Super Sports 2025 AFCON coverage, stated that Nigeria can only get the best from Osimhen when he’s angry.
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“In games like that, there are always emotions, and there are always players who want it more and react in different ways. We have seen Ronaldo do things like that. We have seen big players do it. Though Victor is not Ronaldo, in the Nigeria team, he is the biggest player for me in that team.”
“If Ronaldo does this to Mbappé or anyone else, are you going to send him away from the team? No. I am not saying he is Ronaldo, and I am not saying this is Zimbabwe, but in the Super Eagles, he is our biggest player. I am not saying what he did was right, because he should not have done that, and they have settled it.”
He also praised the Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for handling Osimhen and Lookman’s rift in a matured way.
“You do not take your best player out of the team, no matter what. You just have to settle it. I like the way the coach handled it inside the dressing room and did not make a big problem out of it,” Ighalo said.
