Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has praised striker Victor Osimhen, describing him as the “big boy” of the national team.
Mikel made the remark while reacting to Osimhen’s outstanding performance in Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Benin Republic during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Osimhen scored a hat-trick in the match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, securing Nigeria’s place in the World Cup playoffs scheduled for November.
Our World Cup dream is still alive. I spoke about it before the two games. I said whatever is going on with the FA, all the negativity, all the corruption and everything that is going on, those two games [Lesotho and Benin Republic] were must-win games, and we did that,” Mikel said on The Obi One podcast.
“Credit to the boys, they absolutely did that and of course, the main man [Victor Osimhen] we have talked about so many times on this podcast.
“If we didn’t win that game, we wouldn’t be talking about trying to qualify for the World Cup.
“Victor Osimhen has single-handedly kept us alive. In one of the biggest games, he came out and scored a hat-trick.
“When the pressure is on, the big boys step up, and that is exactly what he has done. He is the big boy in that team right now, and we all need him,” Mikel added.
