Osimhen scores landmark Serie A goals in Napoli's comeback win

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has become the first Nigerian player to hit double figures in two different Serie A seasons with his brace on Saturday.

Osimhen helped Luciano Spalletti's side come from behind with two second-half goals that steered them to a 2-1 victory over Udinese.

The brace took the 23-year-old's league tally to 11 goals after 20 league appearances so far in this campaign.

After Gerard Deulofeu's opening goal for Udinese in the first-half, Osimhen inspired his team's fight-back with a header off Mario Rui's cross in the 52nd minute.

The Nigeria star turned up again to put the Partenopeans ahead with his second goal, three minutes after the hour-mark.

It was his third brace in the Italian top-flight this term and he has now achieved a feat former Nigeria stars like Obafemi Martins, Nwankwo Kanu, Ayo Makinwa and Obinna Nsofor never did in Serie A.

Since he moved to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona from Lille in August 2020, he has scored 21 goals in 44 Serie A games.

Osimhen played the entire duration for Napoli alongside Cameroon midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly.

The victory boosted the Partenopeans' Serie A title chances as they leapfrogged AC Milan by goal difference, though the Rossoneri have a game in hand.

Napoli have 63 points after 30 matches and their next league outing is against Atalanta after the international break.

After scoring four goals in his last two matches, Osimhen's form comes as good news for Nigeria ahead of their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match against Ghana on March 25 and 29.

The former Lille star joins Al Hilal's Odion Ighalo, Almeria's Umar Sadiq and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho as part of nine forwards called up by Austin Eguavoen.