Victor Osimhen & Nigeria’s top 3 penalty goalscorers in Champions League history

Only three Super Eagles stars have scored penalties in UEFA Champions League history, despite several Nigerian footballers making their mark in the competition.

Victor Osimhen leads the exclusive list with three successful spot-kicks, ahead of former Nigeria international Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who converted two, and legendary goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who scored once.

Nigeria’s history in the Champions League is rich and steeped.

Osimhen is also Nigeria’s leading Champions League goalscorer with 16 goals, followed by Ademola Lookman and Obafemi Martins with nine on the all-time chart.

Former Arsenal and Ajax forward Nwankwo Kanu holds the record for the most Champions League appearances by a Nigerian, with 60, one more than former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

Kanu also leads the Nigerian assists chart with 13, seven more than Lookman, who occupies second place.

However, when it comes to penalties, only three Nigerians have found the net from the spot in the Champions League proper.

Champions League: Nigeria’s top penalty goalscorers

1. Victor Osimhen: Three penalty goals

Osimhen sits at the top of the list after scoring three Champions League penalties, all for Galatasaray.

The Nigerian striker converted a decisive spot-kick against Liverpool on October 1, 2025, helping the Turkish champions secure a 1-0 victory over the English giants at RAMS Park.

The Super Eagles forward added two more penalties against Ajax on November 5, 2025, scoring in the 66th and 78th minutes to complete a memorable hat-trick in Galatasaray’s 3-0 victory.

With three successful penalties, Victor Osimhen has scored more spot-kicks in the competition than any other Nigerian player.

2. Yakubu Aiyegbeni: Two penalty goals

Yakubu, one of Nigeria’s greatest ever goalscorers, is second on the list, having converted two penalties during his Champions League career.

The former Super Eagles striker scored all seven of his Champions League goals for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, with five coming in the group stage and two during qualifying.

One of his most memorable performances came in a 3-0 victory over Olympiacos, when he scored all three goals to register his only Champions League hat-trick.

At 19, Yakubu became the first African player to score a hat-trick in the competition.

The forward also converted a penalty in Maccabi Haifa’s 3-0 win over Manchester United.

His two successful spot-kicks place him behind only Osimhen among Nigerian penalty scorers in the Champions League.

3. Vincent Enyeama: The goalkeeper with a historic goal

Enyeama completes the list with one Champions League penalty goal, an achievement that remains one of the most unusual records held by a Nigerian footballer.

The former Super Eagles captain scored for Hapoel Tel Aviv against French club Lyon on September 29, 2010, during the 2010-11 group stage.

Enyeama calmly converted a penalty despite playing as a goalkeeper, although Hapoel Tel Aviv eventually suffered a 3-1 defeat.

He made seven Champions League appearances across two seasons for the Israeli club, but his strike against Lyon became his only goal in the competition proper.

Enyeama also scored a penalty against Red Bull Salzburg during the qualifying play-offs in 2010, but that goal is separate from his official group-stage record.

His goal against Lyon placed him among the rare goalkeepers to score in the Champions League’s main tournament and made him the first African goalkeeper to achieve the feat.