Since breaking out as part of the country’s successful Under-17 World Cup-winning side in 2015, Victor Osimhen has been earmarked for superstardom in much the same way as Wilson Oruma, Chrisantus Macauley, Kelechi Iheanacho and Sani Emmanuel – all Nigerians who won the same competition as well as the Golden Boot – were before him.
The results have been mixed down the years: Oruma and Iheanacho have built successful careers, while Emmanuel and Macauley faltered. However, Osimhen has lived up to the expectation and then some, in September becoming the first Nigerian to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or since Nwankwo Kanu in1999.
“I played football growing up with the dream of becoming one of the best players in the world,” he tells World Soccer. “I watched some of the greats on television and deeply imagined what it would be like to be on that stage.
“I think you can
