Veteran Sporting Charleroi goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau is not surprised by the progress of Victor Osimhen this season and has tipped the Nigeria international to be the next Didier Drogba of the French Ligue 1.

Osimhen is one of the most coveted young players in France, perhaps only behind PSG's Kylian Mbappe, following his brilliant form that has seen him find the net eighteen times in 38 matches in all competitions this season.

Speaking to RMC Sport, Penneteau said : "He doesn't surprise me. When we discovered him, when he arrived, two clubs refused to take him for small physical problems.

"From the first training sessions we saw that he was a player of another class . I said it when he arrived in Lille but for me he may be the future Drogba of the French championship."

Penneteau went on to reveal that Osimhen is a complete striker and highlighted five qualities of the Super Eagles rising star.

"If there are at least two seasons left , he will score goal by goal.

"He has all the qualities of a modern striker. He is fast, he jumps high, strong in duels , good with the ball, he plays in depth. He will erase his little imperfections while playing, he is a phenomenon," added the 39-year-old goalkeeper.

A former France U18 international, Penneteau was in goal for Corsica as they held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly in May 2017.

Igho Kingsley