Former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, has urged the Super Eagles’ forwards to share the goalscoring responsibility with Victor Osimhen, warning that Nigeria’s World Cup dreams could be at risk if the team continues to rely solely on the Galatasaray striker.
Ikpeba, who was part of Nigeria’s golden generation in the 1990s, said he was concerned by how often the Eagles struggle to find goals whenever Osimhen is unavailable or tightly marked.
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According to him, the team must find new sources of goals if they are to progress through the tough World Cup playoff fixtures ahead.
“It’s worrying that we find it difficult to score when Osimhen doesn’t play,” Ikpeba said. “He’s an incredible striker, one of the best in the world right now, but football is a team sport. Others need to step up — it can’t be all about one player.”
The former AS Monaco forward, famously nicknamed ‘The Prince of Monaco’, added that Nigeria’s wealth of attacking talent must start producing consistently, especially in big games.
“We have players like Ademola Lookman, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, and Terem Moffi — these are top professionals. They must take more responsibility and start scoring regularly,” Ikpeba continued.
He noted that while Osimhen’s passion and hunger often lift the team, over-reliance could make Nigeria predictable to opponents like Gabon, who the Eagles will face in the continental playoffs in Morocco next month.
“Osimhen sets the tone with his energy and commitment, but the others must match that intensity,” Ikpeba stressed. “If everyone contributes, Nigeria can qualify and make a real statement at the 2026 World Cup.”
The Super Eagles are expected to begin their final phase of preparation next week as they aim to secure one of Africa’s coveted spots at the global showpiece.
