Retired Nigeria international Femi Opabunmi has praised Victor Osimhen  for his commitment, energy and fighting spirit, and is encouraging the Super Eagles players to copy those qualities to stand a better chance of winning the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Opabunmi was the star of the Golden Eaglets squad at the 2001 Fifa U17 World Cup, scoring five goals to help Nigeria reach the tournament final. 

A year later, the former Shooting Stars winger made history as the youngest Nigerian to feature in a World Cup, coming off the bench to replace Pius Ikedia in a goalless draw against England at just 17 years and 101 days old.

Osimhen has recorded one goal and one assist at the 2025 Afcon, with his hunger and determination clearly standing out throughout the group stage.

Opabunmi highlighted the Galatasaray forward as a role model, stressing that passion will be crucial if the Super Eagles are to win the Africa Cup of Nations for a fourth time.

"They can achieve success if they are ready to play with their minds. When you watch the Nigerian national team now, the passion isn’t always there like it used to be," Opabunmi told ThePlayzone podcast.

"When Osimhen is running up and down the pitch, you can see he plays with passion, just as he does at Galatasaray. If other players imitate him and show the same dedication, we can challenge anyone in the Africa Cup of Nations and bring the trophy back home.

"Nigeria have a culture where, if you write them off, that’s often when they excel. I believe they will win in Morocco."

The Super Eagles' next Africa Cup of Nations match is against Mozambique's Mambas at the Complexe Sportif de Fès on Monday, January 5, with a quarterfinal spot up for grabs.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel