Nigeria internationals Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen have been painting the Italian Serie A with goals this season, spearheading their respective teams aims. The Nigerians have already scored in five straight league games in 2023, more than any other player in Europe’s top five divisions this year.

I think this is a positive and healthy rivalry because both players are leading scorers in Serie A with 12 and 16 goals, respectively. The race for the Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer’s award) in Serie A is looking like a two horse race, with Super Eagles duo, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman the two leading gladiators.

Osimhen and Lookman are looking forward to becoming the first African(s) to finish as the top scorer in the history of the Italian topflight. Two of the most lethal strikers from Africa to play in Serie A, George Weah and Samuel Eto, were unable to accomplish the feat while they were playing. Osimhen currently has 19 goal contributions (16 goals and three assists) in 17 league appearances, while Lookman has 12 goals and three assists in 20 outings.

The Super Eagles duo have been nominated for the Serie A Player of the Month award three times this season, most recently January 2023. In January, Osimhen scored five goals in four league games for Napoli, and Lookman likewise scored five goals for Atalanta. The other three nominees are Luis Alberto of Lazio, AS Roma’s Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan

 Lookman has however found the rivalry interesting and told English news outlet, The Athletic that while he wants to keep working hard every match, he hopes to catch up with Osimhen soon. 

“I’m so focused on now. Now is the most important for me as to how I can affect today and tomorrow. I used to think about the future, you can get caught up in the future and the future will always come but the now is the most important. Nah, not when he’s above you, anyway” laughs Lookman. I will catch him, he smiles. Not I might, I will”, he said.

A little friendly competition will benefit both players, although realistically speaking Lookman would have to reach an even higher altitude than the stratospheric one he is now functioning in to catch up to Osimhen. This is undoubtedly a positive thing because Osimhen impresses me as the kind of guy who thrives under pressure and hardship. It is a positive and constructive rivalry that not only raises the playing profiles of Osimhen and Lookman but also promotes Nigerian football talent around the world.

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro also expressed his delight with the performance of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in Serie A this season. Peseiro stated that Nigerian football has a bright future and hoped the two strikers will reproduce their performance at the club level when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches resume in March.

“It’s an exceptional moment for Nigerian footballers and knowing you can count on two strikers like them is something incredible,” Peseiro said to Il Mattino, via Tuttomercatoweb.

“I’m telling the truth: knowing you have two strikers like that makes me feel much better, it makes me feel much better. At this point I hope they bring their positivity to the national team as well“. Peseiro added. 

Peserio went on to reveal that he has a good relationship with Osimhen and Lookman and they were recently in touch after finding the back of the net in the last round of matches in the Serie A. 

“We talk practically every week and in fact I heard them right after the last goals scored. Victor is incredible, he is never satisfied. Even when he scores and is decisive“.