Nigeria's number one goalscorer in 2023: Osimhen dethrones his mentor Ighalo

Victor Osimhen ended 2023 as the highest Nigerian goalscorer across the world despite missing Napoli's last match against Monza due to suspension. 

The reigning African Footballer of the Year mustered 34 goals for club and country, placing first ahead of Gift Orban who has tallied 32 goals in all competitions since his move to Gent last January. 

Ighalo - top scoring Nigerian player in the 2022 calendar year - is in third place with 28 goals accumulated.

Osimhen has a mentor-mentee relationship with Ighalo and traveled to Belgium to watch the then Manchester United striker make his European debut against Club Brugge in February 2020.

The former Granada and Watford man netted in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time as Al-Wehda defeated Al-Riyadh SC 3-1 on Boxing Day to increase his tally to 28 goals but fired blanks in his final game of the year against his former employers Al-Shabab. 

Completing the top five highest goalscorers are Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface who has 26 goals to his name and Akor Adams who has a total of 25 goals combined for Lillestrom and Montpellier.

Of the aforementioned strikers, only Osimhen and Boniface are heading to Ivory Coast with the Super Eagles for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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