Captain William Ekong has heaped praise on Victor Osimhen leading into tonight’s 2026 World Cup Playoffs final against DR Congo.
Osimhen’s goals have been one of the reasons Nigeria will battle DRC for the sole ticket to the Intercontinental Playoffs in Mexico in March.
Ekong said Osimhen’s hunger and determination to succeed have not diminished from his first AFCON in Egypt in 2019.
“Victor is a very special player, he’s the best forward in the world right now,” Ekong remarked.
“It’s not just down to the goals he has scored in the last two games, but it also what he has consistently brought so much to the team in the last two, three years when he has been the main forward for Nigeria
“From his first camp with us in 2019, he is getting some great experience and has been the same player that has been hungry from the start.
“Now his confidence has grown, he’s perfected his skills, but what has made Victor the standout player is his hunger and determination, which is something that he had from day one and probably has been part of his upbringing and who he is as a person.
“It’s great to have a player like that in the team and he’s also grown to be an important player and leader in the team, his legacy will be big for Nigeria, but he also needs other players around him, he’s not playing alone and sometimes that is also forgotten.”
