Former Arsenal Invincible and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Kolo Toure, has lauded the talents of Victor Osimhen ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Toure emphasized the threat posed by Osimhen’s speed and physical prowess, particularly during Nigeria’s transition plays.

Toure, highlighting Osimhen’s ability to draw defenders and create space for teammates despite scoring only one goal in the tournament, stressed the importance for Ivory Coast defenders to match his speed and neutralize his impact.

In an interview with Sportblog247.com, Toure outlined the danger in Nigeria’s playing style, where they shift to a 5-4-1 formation and quickly transition to counter-attacks, with Osimhen making dynamic runs into space. He emphasized the need for Ivory Coast to have fast defenders to anticipate Osimhen’s movements and effectively counter the Nigerian team’s attacking strategy.

Toure acknowledged that while Osimhen is a key figure for Nigeria, their success is also built on defensive solidity. He praised Jose Peseiro’s team for their defensive prowess, highlighting their near-perfect record of consecutive clean sheets, only disrupted by South Africa’s late penalty in the semi-final.

The warning from Kolo Toure adds an intriguing perspective to the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations final, suggesting that Ivory Coast’s defenders will need to be on high alert to contain the threat posed by the “super powerful player,” Victor Osimhen.