Victor Osimhen, whose career began selling newspapers on the streets of Lagos, is today one of the world's most prominent strikers, playing for the Nigerian national team and Turkish club Galatasaray. Osimhen was a candidate for Nigeria's U17 squad for the 2015 U17 World Cup, but initially failed to convince head coach Emmanuel Amuneke and was cut from the squad. However, several assistant coaches objected to the decision and asked Amuneke to give Osimhen a second chance. Amuneke, scorer of two goals in Nigeria's 2-1 win over Zambia in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final, agreed to their request. Given a second chance, Osimhen scored 10 goals in 7 matches and played a key role in Nigeria's tournament victory in Chile. Osimhen will never forget the role Amuneke played in launching his career, and he heaped praise on him during his speech upon being named African Player of the Year. 'I don't think I would be standing here holding one of the most prestigious awards in international football if not for him,' he said in front of guests in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. After attracting the attention of scouts in Chile, Osimhen moved to Europe, but his goalscoring form deserted him at German club Wolfsburg, where he failed to score in 14 matches and was loaned to Belgian side Charleroi, where he rediscovered his scoring touch, netting 12 goals in 25 matches. Osimhen's next stop was Lille in neighboring France, where he spent one season with a goal every two games. In 2020, Napoli paid a club-record €70 million to sign him, and Osimhen repaid the favor by helping the team end a 30-year wait and win the Serie A title in 2023. Osimhen became a highly sought-after player, with media linking him to a move to the Saudi Pro League, Chelsea, or Paris Saint-Germain, but he chose to join Galatasaray, first on loan and then permanently. In Turkey, he maintained his ability to score regularly. As Nigeria prepares to face Group C rivals Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda this December in the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, all eyes are on the 26-year-old. Nigeria's coach, Malian-Frenchman Éric Chelle, called him 'the greatest striker in the world,' as the 'Super Eagles' aim to win their fourth title in history and their first since 2013. Nigeria is rich in attacking talent, with last year's African Player of the Year, Atalanta's Ademola Lookman, standing out as a potential strike partner for Osimhen. Osimhen's story is classic, mirroring the journey of many African footballers: a rise from poverty to glory after overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve stardom. Osimhen revealed his childhood struggles through a series of social media posts, hoping to inspire Nigerians facing similar circumstances. His first memories of life in Nigeria's commercial capital are of dusty streets and the smell of waste from a garbage dump. However, Osimhen has also been a victim of many injuries, often wearing a protective face mask after fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket while playing for Napoli. 'I had to sell newspapers and water bottles to help my family survive,' the footballer, who turns 27 on December 29, just a day before Nigeria's final group game against Uganda, recalls. A stroke of luck that changed his life and set him on a path that led to him being named African Player of the Year two years ago (2023). Osimhen has also been a prolific goalscorer for the Nigerian national team, with 31 goals in 45 international appearances since his debut in 2017, including four goals in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against São Tomé and Príncipe. In recent months, he has scored a hat-trick against Benin and two goals against Gabon in qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. However, the 'Super Eagles' will be one of the notable absentees from next year's global showpiece after losing the African playoff final to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in Morocco. Osimhen was forced to come off injured at halftime of the match against the Congolese, and many Nigerian fans blamed his absence for the defeat.
