Prolific scorer Osimhen adjusts sights to Africa

The 24-year-old will look to impress in the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria

JOHANNESBURG:

Prolific scorer Osimhen adjusts sights to Africa 

The 24-year-old will look to impress in the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria 

AFP 

JOHANNESBERG: Prolific Napoli scorer Victor Osimhen will seek more goals when Nigeria resume 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying this week by hosting Guinea-Bissau. 

The 24-year-old scored twice in a Champions League triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt last Wednesday and is the Serie A chart-topper. 

His ultimate club goal is to play in England, telling reporters that "Serie A is among the top leagues in the world, but I want to be a Premier League footballer one day". 

Osimhen is also the leading Cup of Nations scorer in qualifying with five goals, including four in a 10-goal matchday two rout of Sao Tome e Principe last June. 

Here, AFP Sport looks ahead to matchdays three and four, with countries playing each other twice as the race for 23 places in the Ivory Coast gathers momentum after an eight-month break. 

Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro has a wealth of forward talent to choose from as the Group A leaders take on second-placed Guinea-Bissau. 

Apart from Osimhen, Ademola Lookman of Atalanta is among the leading scorers in Serie A and Terem Moffi has been starring for Nice. 

Six Premier League players have been selected, including midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho from Leicester City. 

Sadio Mane is set for a return to the Senegal line-up against Mozambique in Group L after missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to a leg injury. 

The African champions fared below expectations without their talisman at the global showpiece, meekly bowing out to England in the round of 16. 

While Mane will boost the attack, injuries rule out Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Nottingham Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. 

Mohamed Salah wants to break his goal drought in the Cup of Nations campaign as record seven-time champions Egypt aim to rise from the bottom of Group D. 

After a laboured win over Guinea, the Pharaohs crashed to Ethiopia, and now face improving Malawi twice. 

The poor start cost coach Ehab Galal his job, the former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria has replaced him.

After assisting Ghana at the 2022 World Cup, former Premier League manager Chris Hughton has taken charge following the resignation of Otto Addo. 

The ex-Republic of Ireland defender has chosen seven Premier League players, including brothers Andre and Jordan Ayew, to face Angola in top-of-the-table Group E clashes. 

Ghana have won the Cup of Nations four times, but the last triumph came 41 years ago when the father of the Ayews, Abedi Pele, was a teenage star. 

After years of debating the issue, Benin have changed the nickname of the national team from Squirrels to Cheetahs, believing it will make the team more feared. 

Last in Group L after losses to Senegal and Mozambique, the west Africans have hired former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr to succeed local Moussa Latoundji as they prepare to face Rwanda. 

Other countries who will have new bosses include Zambia (former Chelsea manager Avram Grant), Sudan (ex-Morocco goalkeeper and coach Badou Zaki) and Libya (local Hamdy Bataw).