Ex-Barcelona star warns Super Eagles not to over-rely on back-to-back AFCONQ top scorer Osimhen 

Former Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amuneke has sent a message to the Super Eagles ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, saying over-reliance on current African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen could be their downfall. 

Osimhen is being touted as the marquee player in the Super Eagles squad and was the overall top scorer in the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers having netted 5 and 10 goals respectively. 

The Napoli number 9  has been a fundamental player for the Super Eagles since he broke into the side after the retirement of Odion Ighalo who later rescinded his decision to call it quits but currently out of favour. 

Manager Jose Peseiro seems to have found the perfect partner for Osimhen in attack ahead of the AFCON, with Victor Boniface his preferred candidate but the popular Bayer Leverkusen striker is a rookie on the international scene with no goals in five appearances. 

Under the guidance of the Portuguese football tactician, Osimhen has scored 41.7 percent of the goals netted by the Super Eagles in the matches he played in, statistically proving that the national team over depend on him for goals. 

When asked whether the presence of the best player in Africa, Victor Osimhen, is an advantage for the Super Eagles and whether he can give them the title, Amuneke told Btolat: "Of course, he is a wonderful and distinguished player, but football is a team game that depends on what the team does as a whole, not one player.

"There must be harmony and harmony between the players in order to reach the podium, so I wish them success and return to us with the title."

Nigeria have won only one of the seven matches Osimhen was unavailable for selection since the appointment of Peseiro as coach in 2022.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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