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By Bosun Adeyemi
Victor Osimhen scored twice in extra time to help Nigeria beat Gabon 4-1 in the 2026 World Cup playoff semifinal. He revealed that his brace was fueled by his earlier missed chance in the last minute of regular time. Osimhen had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper but skewed the ball wide, which could have wrapped up the game at 2-1 for Nigeria.
Instead of getting discouraged, Osimhen drew on his years of experience playing at the top level, staying focused to make amends for the missed chance. He expressed gratitude to his teammates for their support, saying, “I’m happy that I did it, and kudos to the guys who gave me the assists to score the two goals.”
Osimhen’s mentality as a professional player helps him bounce back from missed opportunities. “As a striker, sometimes I score a goal that no one believes; but I could also sometimes lose the one that people think I’m going to score. That doesn’t take away what I can do,” he said.
With these two goals, Osimhen now has 31 goals for Nigeria, just six behind Rashidi Yekini’s all-time record of 37 goals. The Super Eagles will face DR Congo in the final playoff round.
