Victor Osimhen‘s goalscoring exploits for club and country in recent years haven’t gone unnoticed, even to rival fans, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Galatasaray striker is heralding the Super Eagles of Nigeria to the big stage at the AFCON 2025 tournament in Morocco, and has received praise from former Canada and Besiktas midfielder, Atiba Hutchinson.
Osimhen has scored four goals for Eric Chelle’s men and is second in the tournament’s top scorer list, behind Morocco’s Brahim Diaz (5).
Hutchinson played the most games in his career for Besiktas, spending a decade at the Istanbul-based club, and his comments about the Nigerian striker will not go down too well with the fans of his former club.
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Atiba Hutchinson lauds Victor Osimhen
The Canadian was full of praise for Osimhen, not just because of the striker’s proficiency in front of goal, but also because of what he offers the team off the ball.
“He’s a player, man, he’s a coach’s ideal striker. You know you’re going to get goals from him every single game that he plays, and it’s the work ethic that he puts into it,” the 42-year-old said on the Obi One podcast.
“He’s helping the team defensively like crazy. He’s running up, he’s running down, he never takes a second off, and that’s what a coach wants.
9️⃣ ‘A COACH’S DREAM’
Morocco beware! ⚠️ @atibahutchinson is a BIG fan of Victor Osimhen…
Will he fire @ng_supereagles to #AFCON glory? pic.twitter.com/xC6Rt7V041
— The Obi One Podcast (@obionepodcast) January 12, 2026
“He wants somebody who will play with the ball, in and around the box, who can score, but most importantly, assist the team defensively when they need help,” Hutchinson concluded.
Osimhen will be looking to put Morocco to the sword when he plays against the Atlas Lions in the AFCON 2025 semi-final tonight.