Victor Osimhen’s relentless march through Nigeria’s record books continued against Mozambique, as his brace brought him to within three goals of eclipsing Rashidi Yekini as the Super Eagles’ all-time leading scorer.
But while Osimhen closes in on Nigeria’s most celebrated scoring milestone, a quieter yet equally significant chase is unfolding alongside him. Ademola Lookman is now within touching distance of surpassing Yekini in another revered category, goals scored in Africa Cup of Nations knockout matches, and he could reach it before Osimhen inevitably claims the top scorer crown.
Yekini, Nigeria’s original “Goalsfather,” finished his international career with 37 goals, 13 of which were scored at the AFCON. Five of those came in knockout matches (excluding third-place playoffs), a benchmark that has stood unchallenged for decades.
Lookman, remarkably in only his second AFCON tournament, already has six goals at the competition. Even more striking is the context: four of those goals have come in knockout fixtures. That leaves the Atalanta forward just one goal shy of matching Yekini’s AFCON knockout tally and two away from breaking it outright.
Nigeria are set to face the winner of the round-of-16 tie between Algeria and DR Congo, and should Lookman maintain his remarkable scoring streak, having found the net in every match he has played at this tournament, history could be rewritten as early as the next game.
His pedigree in knockout football is already established. At the previous AFCON, Lookman struck three times in elimination matches, scoring twice against Cameroon in the round of 16 before adding another against Angola in the quarter-finals. That foundation has now been built upon in Morocco, with his influence growing match by match.
Meanwhile, Osimhen’s pursuit of Yekini’s overall record remains firmly on track. The Galatasaray striker needs just three more goals to draw level with the legendary former Julius Berger forward, a target well within reach given his current form. Should Osimhen add three more goals before the tournament’s end, he would also match Yekini’s AFCON knockout goals record, underlining his status as Nigeria’s modern-day standard bearer.
While both players insist publicly that records are not their motivation, Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign is increasingly being shaped by history in motion. Osimhen is hunting immortality. Lookman is carving his own chapter.
And with the Super Eagles still firmly in contention, Rashidi Yekini’s towering legacy may soon have new names written alongside it.
