Mikel Obi Hails Osimhen As Super Eagles’ “Big Boy”

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has lavished praise on Victor Osimhen following the striker’s outstanding hat-trick in Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over the Benin Republic in the 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Osimhen was in unstoppable form at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, firing Nigeria into the playoff round and reigniting hopes of reaching the global tournament.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel couldn’t hide his admiration for the Napoli forward, describing him as the driving force behind Nigeria’s qualification hopes.

“Our World Cup dream is still alive. I spoke about it before the two games. I said whatever is going on with the FA, all the negativity, all the corruption and everything that is going on, those two games [Lesotho and Benin Republic] were must-win games, and we did that,” he said.

“Credit to the boys, they absolutely did that and of course, the main man [Victor Osimhen] we have talked about so many times on this podcast. If we didn’t win that game, we wouldn’t be talking about trying to qualify for the World Cup.”

Mikel praised Osimhen’s ability to perform under pressure, calling him a true leader who steps up when it matters most.

The former Chelsea star said, “Victor Osimhen has single-handedly kept us alive. In one of the biggest games, he came out and scored a hat-trick. When the pressure is on, the big boys step up, and that is exactly what he has done. He is the big boy in that team right now, and we all need him.”