Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen , on Wednesday scored his first ever hat-trick for SSC Napoli since he return from the 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire; reports.
Osimhen was on target three times this evening as the reigning Italian Serie A champions SSC Napoli, ran rampage at Sassuolo.
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The 25-year-old gave Napoli the lead on the 31st minute after playmaker Rrahmani equalised for the Neapolitans against Sassuolo in the 29th minute.
The former Olympique Lille forward secured a brace ten minutes later, giving Napoli the lead in the 41st minute.
Osimhen would go ahead to complete his hat-trick early into the second half when he scored two minutes after the restart, taking his tally this season to eleven in fifteen games.
He however crowned his efforts of the evening, with an assist to Georgian midfielder Kvaratskhelia who scored Napoli’s fifth and sixth goal.
Recall, Osimhen struggled in front of goal at the recently concluded 2023 AFCON. Scoring just once in seven games, to help Nigeria finish with a silver medal at the 34th edition of the biennial tournament.
Nigerians expressed fear over the poor form of the player in front of goal; some angry fans even went as far as criticising the player for his lack of goals.
In defense of Osimhen, a Super Eagles player who doesn’t want his name in print told NPFLUpdates that poor pitches at the AFCON was a limiting factor.
Why Osimhen failed to score many goals at the 2023 AFCON
According to the player, most times, passes from midfielders will take a different direction due to the undulating surfaces of the turfs.
“The way Osimhen worked on training days can only be compared to that of Ronaldo, who it has been reported spend most of times training. Lack of goals for Osimhen is entirely not his fault neither it was that of the midfielders,” he said before Nigeria’s semi-final clash with South Africa.
“Most times ground passes will take different direction due to the undulating surfaces of the turf. Even in trainings, it does happen.
“Players may want to kick a ball, and will suddenly miss steps due to the nature of the turf. And most of us who play in Europe find it difficult.”
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He added, “Don’t be surprised when he(Osimhen) gets back to Napoli, the goals will start to come. It doesn’t mean, Napoli has better players than us, but better playing turfs are in Europe.”
