Victor Osimhen is the leading striker at the ongoing U-17 tournament, with double the number of goals of his nearest competitor. He has netted eight times compared to Germany’s Johannes Eggestein’s four, and with Germany out of the tournament, it is unlikely Osimhen will be caught. His value is not just in quantity, but consistency. Osimhen has scored in all of Nigeria’s games at the tournament.
His prolific form will bring its own pressures, which coach Emmanuel Amunike is being careful to manage, this much he said when he spoke with the BBC.
The expectations will be high for him to go to do well on a bigger stage. Hopefully, he can keep his head and stay calm. He has to embrace the moment and make the most of it for his country, and for himself.
Whatever happens, Nigerians will hope Osimhen does not go the same way as Macauley Chrisantus, who was the top scorer in the 2007 Under-17 World Cup. He scored seven goals and was rewarded with a contract at Hamburg, but never made it as big as his U-17 reputation suggested he would. He was loaned to a second-division club, Karlsruher SC, moved to the Turkish Super Lig and currently plays for AEK Athens, but has never received a senior national call-up.
Compared with the other African team in the Semis, Mali, It can be said that Nigeria has the tougher task. They will take on a spirited Mexican side. And if both African teams emerge on the right side of their semifinals, the future of the continent’s game could be bright. And no doubt, Victor Osimhen would have contributed to this possibility.