Former Nigeria defender Waidi Akanni has showered praises on striker Victor Osimhen, after his brace secured a comfortable 2-0 win for the Super Eagles over Rwanda on Friday.
The on-loan Galatasaray forward scored twice at the Amahoro stadium in Kigali, as the Eric Chelle tenure began with a win which was also the country’s first victory in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
The 26-year old opened the scoring with a neat finish in the 11th minute, guiding home from an Ademola Lookman’s freekick.
He doubled his tally in first half injury time, racing clear of the Amavubi defence before lobbing goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari.
Osimhen’s brace moved him ahead of Nigerian legend Segun Odegbami on the country’s highest goal scoring chart on 25 goals, only behind Rashidi Yekini who has 37 goals.
Akanni praised the former Lille man as a top striker after the game, expressing admiration for his mentality and passion for playing.
“Osimhen is a top striker with the goals he scored against Rwanda. He’s a complete striker and I am delighted with his performance.”, he said.
The victory moves Nigeria fourth in Group C with six points behind South Africa, Benin Republic and Rwanda.
Akanni also expressed satisfaction with the overall team performance and expects more from the players in their upcoming matches.
“The players have been playing to instruction. They are not just rushing forward without making any meaningful attack. The Super Eagles had to compose themselves whenever they were not with the ball.”
The Super Eagles will hope to get a second consecutive qualifying win when they host bottom-of-the-group Zimbabwe next Tuesday, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
