Liberian President Commends Victor Osimhen for Stellar Performance in AFCON Qualifier
Liberian President, George Opong Weah, has once again praised Super Eagles’ forward Victor Osimhen for his outstanding goal-scoring performance during Nigeria’s 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday.
Following his remarkable season, where he scored 25 league goals to lead SC Napoli to their first Italian Serie A title in 33 years, President Weah, the 1995 World, European, and African Footballer of the Year, personally wrote a letter to Osimhen, encouraging him to continue working hard and achieving new milestones.
Osimhen lived up to expectations with an exceptional display on the field, netting goals in the 20th and 33rd minutes, propelling Nigeria to a 2-0 lead.
President Weah remarked, “That is what I call a striker. Good positioning always. Very athletic and knows where to be each time the ball is coming. He is so strong and a fighter par excellence.”
The Nigerian forward now holds the highest goal tally in the qualifying series with seven goals, making his overall record for Nigeria’s senior team an impressive 17 goals in 25 matches.
Among Osimhen’s seven goals in this qualifying campaign is the crucial goal he scored against Sierra Leone in Abuja in June 2022, securing a 2-1 victory and three points for Nigeria on the opening day of the series. Additionally, he contributed four of the 10 goals scored against Sao Tome and Principe in Agadir, Morocco, a few days later, when Nigeria set a new international win-record.
While Sierra Leone’s Mustapha Bundu and Augustus Kargbo managed to equalize, Nigeria secured victory in the added period through Kelechi Iheanacho, who capitalized on a brilliant run by Zaidu Sanusi, stunning the Liberian defense.
With the win, Nigeria secured their place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals with 12 points and one match remaining. Guinea Bissau finished in second place with 10 points, while the Leone Stars crashed out of the tournament with only five points.