A Rising Star in European Football
Ricardo Quaresma, a former Chelsea and Barcelona winger, has recently made waves in the football world by praising Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen as one of the best strikers globally. In a viral social media clip, Quaresma participated in a ‘pick one’ challenge where he had to choose his preferred striker from a series of head-to-head comparisons.
When presented with Osimhen’s image, Quaresma consistently selected the Nigerian over several of Europe’s elite forwards. The first comparison involved Borussia Dortmund’s in-form Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy, and Quaresma chose Osimhen without hesitation. This choice was repeated when the Nigerian was paired against Germany’s Nick Woltemade and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres, who has been impressive since joining the Gunners from Sporting Lisbon.
Even when Osimhen was matched up against Liverpool’s attacking duo of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, Quaresma remained firm in favor of the Super Eagles star. The only moment Osimhen did not come out on top was when Quaresma had to choose between him and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martínez, with the Portuguese opting for the Argentine forward.
Quaresma later admitted that loyalty influenced his decision when he picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Martínez and Harry Kane, before choosing Erling Haaland as his top striker in the world.
Osimhen’s Impact on the Continental Stage
Ironically, both Liverpool and Arsenal were heavily linked with Osimhen last summer before choosing alternative routes. Liverpool signed Isak and Ekitike, while Arsenal landed Gyökeres. Osimhen, however, has continued to flourish on the continental stage. After joining Galatasaray permanently following a stellar loan spell, he has lit up the Champions League this season.
The former Lille and Napoli star has scored six goals in just three matches, including strikes against Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt, and Ajax. That tally not only makes him the highest-scoring Nigerian in Champions League history but also puts him ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane in this season’s scoring chart.
Coach Rohr’s Confidence in Osimhen
Meanwhile, former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has set a target of 30 goals for Osimhen at Galatasaray this season. Osimhen has been very impressive since joining Galatasaray on loan last season, before making the move permanent in the summer transfer window.
This season, the 26-year-old striker has contributed nine goals in 11 appearances across all competitions for the Turkish giants. Rohr, who handed Osimhen his first opportunity in the Super Eagles, has tagged him as one of the best strikers in the world following his impressive displays.
“He is undoubtedly one of the best centre-forwards in the world. He’s a true goalscorer who thrives in high-stakes matches. The Champions League, World Cup qualifiers, the Africa Cup of Nations, the Istanbul derbies… He loves a big atmosphere,” Rohr told Africa Foot.
The Franco-German, who is now Benin’s coach, believes Osimhen will have scored at least 30 goals by the end of the season. “It’s early November, and he already has nine goals. At this rate, he should finish the season with around 30 goals to his name,” Rohr added.