**Significant Milestone Approaches for Victor Osimhen in UEFA Champions League**

Victor Osimhen stands on the brink of achieving a notable milestone in his football career as Galatasaray prepares for an upcoming match against Ajax in the UEFA Champions League. The Super Eagles striker is set to potentially match Obafemi Martins as the Nigerian player with the highest number of goals in European club competitions, while also closing in on appearance records held by Victor Ikpeba and Céléstine Babayaro.

As it currently stands, Osimhen has scored 22 goals in European club competitions, comprising 12 goals in the UEFA Champions League and 10 in the UEFA Europa League. He is one goal away from equaling Martins’ record of 23 goals across all European competitions.

Should Osimhen score against Ajax, he would draw level with Martins, and if he manages to net two goals, he would become Nigeria’s leading scorer in European club football. Martins’ tally includes goals scored for clubs such as Inter Milan, Newcastle United, Wolfsburg, Rubin, and Levante, across various European tournaments including the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

It is worth noting that Osimhen has not participated in the UEFA Europa Conference League, meaning all of his European goals have been scored in the top-tier competitions. The 2023 African Player of the Year recently fell short of achieving his first Champions League hat-trick, having scored two goals in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Bodø/Glimt in their previous European match.

In the context of historical performances, only nine Nigerian players have recorded hat-tricks in European competitions, with Yakubu Ayegbeni being the sole player to do so in the Champions League. Yakubu scored a treble for Maccabi Haifa against Olympiacos on September 24, 2002. Other notable Nigerian players who have registered European hat-tricks include Jay-Jay Okocha, Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, and more recently, Ademola Lookman, who achieved this feat in the Europa League final in 2024.

If Osimhen scores three goals against Ajax, he would become only the second Nigerian to achieve a hat-trick in the Champions League and the tenth to do so across all European competitions.

This upcoming match will also mark Osimhen's 50th appearance for Galatasaray and his 20th in the Champions League, bringing him close to equaling the appearance record jointly held by Victor Ikpeba and Céléstine Babayaro, both of whom made 21 appearances in the competition.

Currently, Osimhen leads as the highest-scoring Nigerian in Champions League history with 12 goals, surpassing Martins, who has 10. Other prominent players include Julius Aghahowa, Emmanuel Emenike, Ikpeba, and Yakubu, each with seven goals. In terms of overall appearances in the Champions League, Nwankwo Kanu and John Obi Mikel hold the top positions with 60 and 59 appearances, respectively.

Osimhen has played a crucial role in Galatasaray’s successful Champions League campaign this season, contributing a decisive penalty in their victory over Liverpool and scoring twice against Bodø/Glimt. His performance against Bodø/Glimt made him the first player in Galatasaray history to score in seven consecutive European matches, breaking the previous record held by Burak Yilmaz.

Following a goalless draw against Trabzonspor, Osimhen expressed his commitment to delivering an improved performance against Ajax. He remarked, “We couldn’t make our fans happy today, but we will do our best to make them smile in the Ajax match.”

In a discussion with UEFA, Osimhen highlighted the team's aspirations for the Champions League, stating, “I spoke with the president when I arrived here, and we agreed that we want to make a statement in the Champions League. We’ve dominated the Turkish league for years, but now we want to show that we can compete among the best in Europe.”

With a total of 43 goals in 49 appearances for Galatasaray, Osimhen has already surpassed several club legends in the all-time scoring charts. As Galatasaray prepares to face Ajax, they aim for their third consecutive Champions League victory following wins over Liverpool and Bodø/Glimt. Currently, Galatasaray leads the Turkish Super League with 29 points, four points ahead of their closest competitor, Fenerbahce.

As the match approaches, attention will be drawn to Osimhen as he seeks to continue his impressive European journey and solidify his position among Nigeria’s elite football talents.