Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen is keen on participating in Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers under new coach Eric Chelle, as the Super Eagles look to get their campaign back on track with games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.
Osimhen is Nigeria’s most productive striker this season, with 20 goals and five assists in 25 games in all competitions for the Turkish club, where he is now on loan from Napoli.
The 26-year-old, who missed the opening four games of the ill-fated series due to injuries, is also yet to feature at the FIFA World Cup and he hopes to help the country avoid missing out on two consecutive editions.
“You have to give everything; you know it’s a dream of every youngster to be at the World Cup. Mine is no exception. So for me, I want to be there just like every one of my teammates and we are really looking forward to the game against Rwanda and Zimbabwe to try and correct all the mistakes we have made in the past. So, we will be ready,” Osimhen told journalist Oluwshina Okeleji.
The striker also weighed the group stage draw of the 2025 AFCON which will see Nigeria battle Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania when the tournament will be held from December 21 to January 18, 2026 in Morocco.
“It’s not going to be easy, this is African football and you can get a lot of surprises but we will take each game as it comes. We have a new coach and I spoke with him a couple of times and I know the kind of objectives he has set for the team and I am looking forward to the first training so we can feel his presence,” Osimhen added.
After four matches, the three-time African champions sit in fifth place with just three points, four points behind leaders Rwanda, with six games left to play in the qualifying series.
