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By Peter Akinbo
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen says the most important thing for him is to win the African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles and not the pressure of putting on an impressive individual performance in Ivory Coast, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
African Player of The Year Osimhen has scored just once in Nigeria’s three games so far at the competition with the Napoli striker missing a plethora of chances to add more to his tally.
After the end of the group stage games, ex-international Segun Odegbami advised Osimhen that he must “calm down” so he could deliver the goals.
Osimhen, however, told Nigerian journalist, Ibukun Aluko, that he was not under pressure to perform.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all, I do not care about this title (African Player of The Year) anymore. I have won it, it’s in the past,” Osimhen said in the video posted on X on Thursday.
The 25-year-old added that the most important thing was for the team to win the AFCON.
“I think the most important thing is to do well with the team, to make sure the team does well as well as win the AFCON,” he said.
“For me, I don’t really care about my individual performance, I can be on the bench and the other players are getting the job done, so, the most important thing is to win and try to win the AFCON with this group. So, I’m ready to help the team.”
Osimhen’s goal against Equatorial Guinea was his 21st for the national team and he is now tied with Yakubu Aiyegbeni in third on Nigeria’s all-time scorers’ chart and two goals behind Odegbami, who has 23 goals for Nigeria. Rashidi Yekini is Nigeria’s top scorer with 37 goals and Osimhen has been tipped to break the record before he retires.
Nigeria are through to the last 16 of the ongoing AFCON and have a date with arch rivals Cameroon on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.