Ex-international fears Nigeria’s attack may be over-reliant on star forward ahead of World Cup playoffs
Former West Bromwich Albion and Nigeria international striker Brown Ideye has warned that the Super Eagles risk relying too heavily on Victor Osimhen to deliver goals as the World Cup playoffs loom, Soccernet.ng reports.
The alarm comes despite Osimhen’s blistering run in front of goal. The Galatasaray striker has scored 29 times in 42 appearances, making him Nigeria’s second-highest goalscorer in history, behind only the late Rashidi Yekini’s 37 goals.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old netted his third international hat-trick to send the Super Eagles into the African playoffs after narrowly missing automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Osimhen ended the qualification series in Group C as Nigeria’s top scorer with six goals; one ahead of Benin captain Steve Mounié.
However, no other Super Eagles player came close. Kelechi Iheanacho, Tolu Arokodare, Semi Ajayi, Frank Onyeka, William Troost-Ekong, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Akor Adams, Raphael Onyedika and Calvin Bassey all contributed just one goal apiece.
It’s a trend that troubles Ideye, who believes the burden of scoring must not rest on a single player.
“If Victor Osimhen is the only striker doing numbers when it comes to scoring goals for the Super Eagles, then we have a problem if we make it to the World Cup. The other strikers need to step up their game,” Ideye wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
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Ideye: Nigeria can’t rely on one man
Nigeria’s campaign in Group C was erratic.
The Super Eagles finished second behind South Africa despite a late resurgence that saw them win four and draw two of their final six qualifiers, including a 4–0 demolition of Benin.
But the slow start proved costly. Nigeria collected only three points from their first four matches, a run that saw them slip behind Bafana Bafana and ultimately miss direct qualification.
The statistics support Ideye’s fears: Nigeria failed to win any of the five games Osimhen missed, yet triumphed in four of the five he played.
“This present Super Eagles has what it takes to score four goals in every game. I looked at our bench (and) still can’t believe we finished second in that group,” Ideye lamented.
With the direct route closed, Nigeria must now navigate a tougher playoff path. The Super Eagles will face Gabon in the first semifinal in Morocco on November 13. The winner will meet either Cameroon or DR Congo for a place in the intercontinental playoffs, Africa’s final ticket to the World Cup.
Still, Ideye, who scored 155 career goals and provided 49 assists during stints in England, France, and Ukraine before retiring this year, believes the team has enough firepower to recover and qualify.
“Unfortunately we didn’t top the group, but if we perform like we did last night against Benin, I don’t see any team stopping us from picking the World Cup ticket,” he added.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with the Super Eagles last appearing at the global showpiece in 2018.
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