AFCON 2023: Top 5 records that were broken in Ivory Coast
FootballUEFA Champions League: Nigeria’s Top Scorers After Victor Osimhen’s Goal Against Barcelona
- Victor Osimhen is edging closer to being Nigeria’s leading scorer in UEFA Champions League history
- The Napoli star is among elite company in his country thanks to his efforts in the European elite tier
- The Super Eagles striker scored against Barcelona in their second-round tie on Wednesday evening
The UEFA Champions League is rated as one of the best football competitions in the world, with the tournament only behind the FIFA World Cup in the pecking order.
Despite being a European club competition, Nigerians have also made their mark in the tournament by etching their names in the history books.
Victor Osimhen is currently the biggest player from the West African nation playing his trade in Europe and showcased why he is so highly rated on Wednesday night.
His return to Napoli from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was marked with a goal against Barcelona, as he earned his team a 1-1 draw in the UCL Round of 16 first-leg at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
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Following the former Lille star's goal against the Catalans, Sports Brief takes a look at Nigeria's top goal-scorers in the competition's history.
Nigeria's top scorers in UCL history
7. Ahmed Musa – 6 Goals
The former Leicester City forward made his mark in the competition, scoring six goals during his time with CSKA Moscow.
6. Ayegbeni Yakubu – 7 Goals
Aiyegbeni had a good spell with Maccabi Haifa and scored a number of goals in the Champions League before leaving the Israeli club for England in 2003.
5. Victor Ikpeba – 7 Goals
The 1997 African Footballer of the Year had a spell with Borussia Dortmund and Monaco in the UCL and found the back of the net seven times while representing both clubs.
4. Emmanuel Emenike – 7 Goals
The former West Ham United striker starred for Fenerbahce, Olympiacos, and Spartak Moscow in the competition and scored seven goals.
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Football3. Julius Aghahowa – 7 Goals
Just like Ikpeba and Emenike, Aghahowa also scored seven goals in the UEFA Champions League while playing for Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk.
2. Victor Osimhen – 9 Goals
The reigning African Footballer of the Year is second on the list with his goal against Barcelona on Wednesday evening (February 21), taking him to nine goals in the competition's history.
1. Obafemi Martins – 10 Goals
The former Newcastle striker is still top on the list with ten goals from his time at Inter Milan. He also represented Wolfsburg and Rubin Kazan before retiring from football.
PSG keen on signing Osimhen
Sports Brief earlier reported that Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to meet Napoli's release clause for Osimhen, as the Italian giants search for Kylian Mbappe's replacement.
The Super Eagles star has been on the radar of several prominent European teams recently due to his performances for the Serie A champions and the Nigerian national team.