Lookman closer to football greatness than Osimhen, says Segun Odegbami

Super Eagles legend Segun Odegbami says Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman is closer to football greatness than Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

While Odegbami didn’t demean Osimhen’s talent and prowess, the Eagles icon believes Lookman’s performance in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final against Bayer Leverkusen has heralded a mental transition that’ll ease the 26-year-old into “the ranks of the gods of African football.”

Despite being the reigning African Player of the Year, Odegbami thinks Osimhen—although a good footballer by all standards—isn’t fully aware of his capabilities, hence his status on the periphery of greatness.

“He [Victor Osimhen] is a very good player but still on the periphery of greatness despite his becoming Africa’s best player and his stellar goalscoring in Napoli,” Odegbami wrote in his Complete Sports column.

“When he makes that final mental transition, when he becomes fully aware of his capability and starts to play deliberately with ease, confidence, and composure, he will immediately join the ranks of the gods of African football.”

The 71-year-old added on Lookman, “During the final match of the Europa Cup, Ademola Lookman who flew like an eagle, may have transited into that realm.

“His three great goals, with a historic victory for his team to boot, may have taken him to the edge of greatness. In 90 minutes, at the moment of his club’s greatest challenge in football, he earned the transition rights through his performance.

“It is not easy to score a goal in football. To score two goals is extremely difficult. To score three in the finals of a European Club championship is a miracle.

“I listened to Ademola Lookman after the match when he addressed the press. I saw in his eyes and heard in his voice, the evidence of his metamorphosis from a really ‘good’ player to a ‘great’ one, going forward. Ademola will never be the same player again.

“In a quantum leap, he finally completed what he started at AFCON 2023. Now, he is in the territory of the gods of the beautiful game.”

2024 started on a disappointing note for both Lookman and Osimhen, as they lost the opportunity to win their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following Nigeria’s 1-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the tournament’s final.

Lookman suffered another final loss to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, but the ex-Leicester City forward ended up having the best season of his career—winning the UEL and scoring 16 goals and nine assists across 44 appearances for Atalanta.

It was a disappointing season for Osimhen, whose 17 goals and four assists across 32 appearances did little as Napoli finished the 2023/24 campaign trophyless and in 10th position, in a season where they were expected to defend their Scudetto title.