Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has stirred controversy among fans after naming Victor Osimhen as the best player to ever wear the Super Eagles shirt.

The Al-Kholood defender overlooked Nigerian football legends such as Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, and Segun Odegbami to declare the 26-year-old Napoli striker as the player with the potential to become the greatest Nigerian player of all time.

Troost-Ekong, who was voted Best Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, acknowledged that his opinion might be influenced by recency bias.

Speaking in a chat with ESPN, the 30-year-old said:

“I think I have to stick with my generation. For me, I think Victor Osimhen has the potential to be the best player we have seen in the Nigerian shirt. Pure talent!”

Osimhen has been tipped to break Rashidi Yekini’s long-standing record as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer.

Yekini scored 39 goals in 62 appearances for the Super Eagles.

At just 26 years old, Osimhen has already netted 26 goals in 41 caps for the three-time African champions.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong makes a bold call on Nigeria’s greatest ever player 😮🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/OAKJZkI05U

— ESPN Africa (@ESPNAfrica) July 25, 2025