Osimhen close to breaking Martins goals record

Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, is just three goals away from breaking the all-time highest goals scored in a season in Serie A by a Nigerian.

Former Inter Milan striker, Obafemi Martins, holds the record with 11 goals in the 2004/05 season as the Nerazzurri finished third.

The 23-year-old scored a brace on Sunday to help Napoli to a 2-1 win at Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A, taking his goals tally this season to nine in 19 games, and equaling Martin’s performance in the 2005/06 league season.

Bar injuries in the course of the season, the mission looks possible for the Nigeria international as there are nine more games till the end of the season.

Martins’ 11 goals came in 31 games, but Osimhen, who has suffered some injury challenges in the season, as well as contracting COVID-19, can only play a maximum of 28 games, which means he’s poised to break the record with lesser games.

The ex-Lille man, who joined the Naples-based club in the summer of 2020 for an African record fee of €81m, is beginning to find his footing at the club this season.

The former Sporting Charleroi man has found the back of the net 13 times with four assists in 24 games in all competitions compared to the 2020/21 season, when he only managed 10 goals and three assists in 30 games across all competitions.

In 88 Serie A games, Martins scored 28 goals, a record Osimhen will also be looking to break.

PUNCH/Nnenna.O