South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena Praises ‘GOAT’ Osimhen After Hat-Trick Heroics Against Benin

South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena has hailed Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen as his “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) following the striker’s sensational hat-trick in the Super Eagles’ 4-0 win over Benin Republic on Tuesday.

Mokoena, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, posted his admiration on social media the next day, writing simply: “My Goat.”

Naija News reports that the Nigerian forward, now with Galatasaray, delivered a standout performance at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, firing Nigeria into the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs.

Osimhen wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring just three minutes into the game after combining neatly with Samuel Chukwueze.

He doubled Nigeria’s advantage in the 37th minute with a well-timed header from another Chukwueze cross, and completed his hat-trick six minutes after the restart when he pounced on a Moses Simon free-kick. Frank Onyeka added the fourth in stoppage time to seal a dominant victory.

With the win, Nigeria finished as one of the best second-placed teams in the African qualifiers, collecting 15 points and boasting a +7 goal difference.

Mokoena’s praise came after South Africa also confirmed their place at the World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Rwanda in Mbombela. Goals from Talente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, and Evides Makgopa secured top spot in Group C with 18 points, one ahead of Nigeria and the Benin Republic.

The achievement capped a remarkable turnaround for Mokoena, who earlier faced controversy when FIFA stripped South Africa of three points after ruling that he was ineligible to play in their March 21 match against Lesotho.

Despite that setback, the 27-year-old midfielder played a vital role in helping Bafana Bafana recover and clinch qualification.

Note that if the Benin Republic had beaten the Super Eagles in Uyo on Tuesday, South Africa would have failed to grab an automatic qualification to the World Cup.