EXCLUSIVE: How Osimhen’s Outburst Could Mar Nigeria’s World Cup Chances

Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian football star, recently made headlines not for his on-field prowess but for a controversial outburst directed at coach Finidi George. The incident has sparked a flurry of reactions from fans, former players, and the media alike.

Osimhen’s outburst came in the wake of comments made by Finidi, which seemingly questioned the player’s commitment to the national team. In response, Osimhen took to social media to express his frustration. In a live Instagram video, he stated that he had lost respect for Finidi, a former Enyimba coach. Osimhen vehemently refuted allegations of faking an injury ahead of the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying matches and threatened to share evidence to prove his honesty.

The Napoli striker’s public display of anger has been met with mixed reactions. Some have criticized him for not handling the situation more professionally, while others have sympathized with his need to clear his name. Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Idah Peterside, lambasted Osimhen for his actions and urged the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to address the matter.

The controversy prompted Nigerian sports journalist Colin Udoh to seek clarification from both the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and Finidi George.

Udoh reached out to senior NFF officials, who confirmed that Finidi never accused Osimhen of feigning an injury.

Udoh also revealed that he reached out to Finidi who refuted ever making such statement and expected Osimhen to have handled the situation differently.

Udoh said on Instagram, “So I called a couple of people who were at that meeting between Finidi, the NFF, and the minister to find out if what is alleged to have been said was actually said, and so these people are usually very, very senior and reliable people and I was told categorically that Finidi did not say the things he’s alleged to have said.

“He did not say he wasn’t going to beg Osimhen. He did not say that Osimhem was not committed. in fact, he did confirm when he was asked about Osimhen’s absence that he called him from Germany, and that’s why he was excused.
“It was when the issue of player’s commitment was raised; that’s why he said he would not beg anybody to play for the Super Eagles, but he did not mention any player by name, specifically.

“And so, I also called Finidi himself to ask him if that was the case and he also confirmed to me that he never said any of those things.
“In fact, he corroborated what the other gentleman had told me and that he would have no reason to call out any player, whether in public or in private, and that he would address issues with the players themselves if there were any issues.

And then, as soon as the video was brought to his attention, he said he reached out to Osimhen and let him know that one, he never said those things, and two, even if he had, Osimhen should have reached out to him first to find out if he did say, what he was alleged to have said, rather than going, public with such disrespect.”

The incident has raised questions about player-coach relationships and the pressures faced by athletes in the public eye. It also highlights the role of social media as a platform where public figures often choose to voice their personal grievances.

As the dust settles on this episode, it serves as a reminder of the intense scrutiny faced by sports personalities and the delicate balance they must maintain between personal expression and professional conduct.