Turkish professional football manager and former player, Fatih Terim, has highlighted the qualities that make Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen such a difficult opponent, describing the Nigerian as one of the best strikers in world football.
Terim, who previously held the managerial position at Galatasaray, commended Osimhen extensively for his clinical finishing prowess, commanding physical presence and aptitude for capitalising on defensive lapses.
Regarding the 27-year-old forward, Terim elaborated on the difficulties defenders encounter when confronting him in one-on-one scenarios.
“Osimhen is an extraordinary striker, among the best in the world. As long as he stays focused on the game, it’s really difficult to go one-on-one with him,” Terim said, as quoted by 24saatgazetesi.
“He can score goals even when it’s not on his mind, even when there’s no scoring opportunity. He’s a striker who earns his own living the hard way.”
Terim further emphasised Osimhen’s proficiency in exploiting minimal defensive oversights, while simultaneously identifying a specific dimension requiring the striker’s attention.
“He responds instantaneously to any marginal error committed by opponents; he constitutes an entirely distinct category of player. His principal requirement is to exercise restraint regarding unnecessary emotional reactions or psychological tension,” he concluded.
Osimhen has substantiated his goalscoring capabilities through his remarkable performance during the initial phase of the 2026/27 season before sustaining a groin injury.
The Galatasaray forward had accumulated six goals and contributed two assists across four matches for the Turkish club before being rendered unavailable.
Notwithstanding this injury setback, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle selected Osimhen for Nigeria’s 24-member contingent for the preliminary 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.