Comparing Victor Osimhen’s First 8 AFCON Matches to Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba

• Victor Osimhen and Nigeria lost the 2023 AFCON final
• The Napoli striker scored one goal at the tournament
• How does he compare to Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o?

Victor Osimhen's first full Africa Cup of Nations ended painfully, as Nigeria were defeated in the final by Ivory Coast.

The African Footballer of the Year performances weren't eye-catching, but he played a vital role in the Super Eagles's superb run to the final.

The Napoli striker has now played eight AFCON matches, but how does his stats compare to Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o?

Osimhen went into the 2023 AFCON as Africa's best footballer. His goals led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years last season, so fans expected the striker to hit the ground running in Ivory Coast.

Osimhen on a mission with Nigeria at Cup of Nations

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One thing to note is that Osimhen was part of Nigeria's squad at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt. He played just 45 minutes at the tournament. He missed the 2021 edition in Cameroon after his cheekbone injury.

Victor Osimhen's AFCON stats

Osimhen didn't score in Egypt in 2019. He played 45 minutes in the third-place playoff against Tunisia, a match they won 1-0.

He turned 25 in December, meaning he went into the 2023 edition as a well-established footballer and one of the best strikers in the world.

He equalized for Nigeria in their first match against Equatorial Guinea, but that would be the only goal he scored in the tournament.

A foul on him resulted in a penalty against Ivory CVoast, which William Troost-Ekong scored. The goal turned out to be the winner. His presence in the box forced Guinea-Bissau to score an own goal in Nigeria's final group game.

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He assisted Ademola Lookman's first goal against Cameroon, and contributed to his second against the Indomitable Lions in the Round of 16.

His movement in the box gave Lookman space to score Super Eagles only goal against Angola in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, Nigeria's goal against South Africa came after he was fouled in the box.

In the final, his display was not great. He struggled to get into the game even when Nigeria had the ball. Throughout the tournament, he played 646 minutes, attempted 24 shots (five on target), and created seven chances, per Opta Analyst.

No player attempted more shots than the Super Eagles star. Golden Boot winner, Equatorial Guinea's Emilio Nsue, scored five goals after attempting eight shots.

Diddier Drogba's AFCON stats

The Ivorian icon was one of the happiest people in the stadium when the referee blew the final whistle on Sunday. He never won the AFCON, but he is one of Africa's greatest-ever players. The Chelsea legend only started playing top-flight football at the age of 23.

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He made his AFCON debut in 2006.

The Champions League winner played a total of 24 AFCON games and scored 11 goals. He was part of the Ivory Coast team that lost in the final in 2006 to Egypt and the 2012 final to Zambia. He failed to score in both finals.

Drogba scored five goals in his first eight AFCON matches. The multiple Premier League champion scored the winner in the semi-final against Nigeria in 2006. Four of his 11 goals came in the knockout round.

Samuel Eto'o AFCON stats

No footballer has scored more AFCON goals than Cameroon icon Samuel Eto'o. The former Barcelona man bagged 18 goals in 29 AFCON matches.

Eto'o scored his first AFCON goal when he was a teenager. He made his debut against Ghana on January 22, 2000. He scored against Ivory Coast in the group stages, before adding three more at the tournament, including the final against hosts Nigeria, per the Guardian.

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Eto'o scored five goals in his first eight AFCON matches. He was part of the Cameroon Golden Generation that won two AFCON titles in 2000 and 2002.

Osimhen has a long way to go, but his career is just taking off. The striker has another opportunity to score more goals in next year's tournament in Morocco.

What next for Osimhen?

Sports Brief earlier reported on Osimhen's next move after the AFCON heartbreak.

The main question is, will he be available for selection this coming Saturday when Napoli play Genoa in the Serie A, given his injury concern?

Napoli needs their star striker back as they are currently struggling in the league. The defending champions are ninth in the league table with 35 points scored.