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Victor Osimhen with the ball. Credit: NFF.
The upcoming encounter between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in central Abidjan on Monday marks a significant milestone for the Nigerian national football team.
This match will be their 100th appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations since the country’s inaugural participation in 1963. Côte d’Ivoire 2023 also signifies the nation’s 20th appearance in the tournament’s finals.
Beyond the historical significance of reaching the 100th of matches, there’s an opportunity for Nigeria to notch up its 140th goal in the competition. William Ekong recently secured the 139th goal from the penalty spot against the Ivorian Elephants.
Looking back, striker Victor Ikpeba scored Nigeria’s 70th goal in the competition when he netted the third goal in Nigeria’s 4-2 victory over Tunisia in Lagos on January 23, 2000. This was during the 22nd finals, co-hosted by Nigeria and Ghana.
Now, it is another 70 goals later, and there is a chance for another Victor, Victor Osimhen, to contribute to Nigeria’s goal tally by scoring against the Wild Dogs.
Similar to Ikpeba, Osimhen, who was named Africa’s Player of the Year in 1997, aims to add to his one-goal record in the Africa Cup of Nations.
He played a minor role in the 2019 finals in Egypt, dominated by Odion Ighalo, and missed the 2021 finals in Cameroon due to injury.
Ighalo himself scored Nigeria’s 130th goal in the 2019 third-place play-off against Tunisia, ending as the top scorer with five goals in the tournament.
Among the current squad members, captain Ahmed Musa marked Nigeria’s 120th goal in the competition when he scored the fourth goal in the 4-1 defeat of Mali in the 2013 semi-final in Durban.
Do you think Osimhen can deliver tomorrow?