Nigeria's star striker Victor Osimhen delivered a performance that left even the opposition fans in sheer admiration during the Super Eagles' thrilling 3-2 victory over Tunisia at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Osimhen Breaks AFCON Duck in Style
After a challenging opening match in the tournament, Victor Osimhen announced his arrival at AFCON 2025 with a decisive contribution against the Carthage Eagles. The Galatasaray forward finally opened his goal account at the continental showpiece, heading home Nigeria's opener in the 44th minute at the Complexe Sportif de Fes on December 27.
His goal came after having two earlier efforts correctly ruled out for offside. Osimhen wasn't done there; he turned provider in the second half, delivering a crucial assist for Ademola Lookman to score Nigeria's third goal. This came after captain Wilfred Ndidi had doubled the lead, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The 3-2 win was significant, securing Nigeria's place in the Round of 16 with one group game to spare, ahead of their final match against Uganda's Cranes on Tuesday, December 30.
"Playing Against Him is Genuinely Scary" - Tunisian Fan's Verdict
The quality of Osimhen's display resonated far beyond Nigerian supporters. Tunisian football fan Islam Bouafif took to social media platform X to share a viral, detailed analysis of the striker's terrifying attributes.
In his post, Bouafif admitted that facing Osimhen was a frightening experience for Tunisian defenders. He praised the 2023 CAF Player of the Year's exceptional box presence, intelligent movement, and overwhelming physicality.
"As someone whose team just faced Osimhen, I have to say playing against him is genuinely scary and frustrating," Bouafif wrote. "Our centre backs aren’t usually this bad, and we rarely struggle this much when defending crosses. But this guy is an absolute monster."
He went further, making a bold claim about Osimhen's global standing: "Right now, I genuinely think he has the best box presence in world football. His strength makes it almost impossible to duel with him, his jumping ability is insane, and he always seems to be at the end of every single cross."
A Call for a Bigger Stage
Bouafif concluded his praise with a pointed observation about Osimhen's club career, suggesting the Nigerian talisman is operating below his rightful level.
"With all due respect to Galatasaray, he’s seriously wasting his prime years in Turkey. He deserves a better team in a top league," the fan stated, echoing a sentiment held by many football observers.
The goal against Tunisia marked a milestone for Osimhen in the green and white jersey. He has now scored 32 goals for the Super Eagles, placing him just four goals shy of equalling the legendary Rashidi Yekini as Nigeria's all-time leading scorer.
Interestingly, while fans raved about Osimhen, former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh highlighted two other unnamed Nigerian players as the difference-makers against Tunisia, choosing not to single out the goal-scorer for special mention in his analysis.
Nonetheless, Osimhen's commanding performance against Tunisia has solidified his status as one of the tournament's most formidable forces, a player capable of inspiring both awe in neutrals and fear in opponents as Nigeria progresses to the knockout stages of AFCON 2025.
