Osimhen is a champion- Walter Mazzarri hails Super Eagles star after brilliant comeback

Osimhen was out of action since October, but he made a big impact for Napoli on his return

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has praised Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen following his performance in their hard-fought 2-1 win over Atalanta on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen returned to action for Napoli after missing the last six weeks because of a muscle injury. This ruled him out of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe last week.

However, Osimhen returned to action for Napoli on Saturday when the Partenopeans visited Bergamo for the game against Atalanta in Walter Mazzarri’s first game in charge.

Osimhen started from the bench and entered the game when it was 1-1. But he did not need much time to prove his brilliance. 15 minutes after his introduction, Osimhen played a great pass to Eljif Elmas, who sent a low drive into the net.

Eventually, that strike sealed the win for the Serie A champions. After the game, Napoli boss Mazzarri was quite pleased with Osimhen, and he showered encomiums on the 24-year-old hitman.

“Osimhen? We’re talking about a champion. He told me he could do 20-25 minutes [against Atalanta]. A player like that can make the difference; he makes the opposing defenses worried,” Mazzarri said per Napoli Magazine.

Next up for Napoli is a UEFA Champions League game against Real Madrid in midweek. Osimhen could make his full return against the Spanish giants.