Osimhen equals FIFA U-17 World Cup goal scoring record

Golden Eaglets’ striker Victor Osimhen on Thursday at Concepcion in Chile equaled the long-standing FIFA U-17 World Cup scoring record of nine goals in a tournament.

Osimhen

He achieved the feat after his goal in the 4-2 defeat of Mexico at the Estadio Municipal.

The record was previously jointly held by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly.

They were top scorers at the global cadet championship at Trinidad and Tobago in 2001 and Mexico in 2011 respectively.

At Chile 2015, Osimhen had earlier achieved a rare feat of equaling the seven-goal scoring record earlier achieved.

The likes of Nigeria’s Macauley Chrisantus (2007), Spain’s David (1997), Ghana’s Ismael Addo (1999) and Sweden’s Berisha (2013) had earlier achieved this.

NAN reports that Osimhen is Golden Eaglets’ leading scorer, going into Chile 2015 with a remarkable 41 goals in 73 international and domestic matches.

The striker had opened his Chile 2015 account with a goal in the 2-0 win over U.S. on the opening day.

He continued with a brace in the 5-1 defeat of hosts Chile.

Osimhen was also Nigeria’s scorer in the 2-1 loss to Croatia to round off the group phase.

He was also in superb form at the commencement of the knockout stage, by grabbing the first hat-trick of Chile 2015 in the crushing 6-0 defeat of Australia in Round 16.

The striker followed up his act with a goal each in the 3-0 and 2-1 win against Brazil and Mexico respectively in the quarter and semi-finals.

With the final match ahead, Osimhen is now on the threshold of history to break the record of most goals in a single tournament at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Top three scorers since 1985

1985-China

8-Marcel Witeczek (Germany)
5-William (Brazil)
4-Bella Momoh (Nigeria)

1987-Canada

5-Yuri Nikiforov (Russia)
5-Moussa Traore (Guinea)
4-Sergei Arutyunian (Russia)
4-Philip Osondu (Nigeria)

1989-Scotland

3-Fode Camara (Guinea)
3-Tulipa (Portugal)
3-Khaled Jasem (Bahrain)

1991-Italy

4-Adriano (Brazil)
4-Nii Odartey Lamptey (Ghana)
3-Jorge Toledano (Mexico)

1993-Japan

6-Wilson Oruma (Nigeria)
5-Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
5-Manuel Neira (Chile)
5-Peter Anosike (Nigeria)

1995-Ecuador

5-Daniel Allsopp (Australia)
5-Mohamed Al Kathiri (Oman)
4-Fernando Gatti (Argentina)

1997-Egypt

7-David (Spain)
5-Hashim Saleh (Oman)
4-Seydou Keita (Mali)

1999-New Zealand

7-Ismael Addo (Ghana)
4-Waleed Rasoul (Qatar)
4-Leonardo (Brazil)

2001- Trinidad & Tobago

9-Florent Sinama Pongolle (France)
5-Femi Opabunmi (Nigeria)
4-Caetano (Brazil)

2003-Finland

5-Cesc Fabregas (Spain)
5-Carlos Hidalgo (Colombia)
5-Manuel Curto (Portugal)

2005-Peru

5-Carlos Vela (Portugal)
4-Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
4-Tevfik Kose (Turkey)

2007-Korea Republic

7-Macauley Chrisantus (Nigeria)
6-Ransford Osei (Ghana)
5-Toni Kroos (Germany)

2009-Nigeria

5-Borja (Spain)
5-Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria)
5-Sebastian Gallegos (Uruguay)

2011-Mexico

9-Souleymane Coulibaly (Cote d’Ivoire)
6-Samed Yesil (Germany)
5-Adryan (Brazil)

2013-UAE

7-Valmir Berisha (Sweden)
6-Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)
6-Boschilia (Brazil)(NAN)