Victor Osimhen is in a heated dispute with Nigeria's national coach Finidi George. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Napoli star Osimhen causes scandal

Napoli’s exceptional striker and African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen has caused a huge stir in the Nigerian national football team.

June 15, 2024

From: dpa

“I have lost all respect I have for him,” the 25-year-old said in a video posted on Instagram about Finidi George, the Super Eagles’ former national coach.

George is said to have claimed that he would not beg Osimhen to play for the national team. In his opinion, Osimhen could have played. The striker, however, stressed that it would have been impossible for him to play due to a muscle injury.

Without Osimhen, currently Africa's Footballer of the Year, Nigeria only got one point from the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa (1:1) and Benin (1:2) and fell to a disappointing fifth and second to last place in the group. According to Nigerian media reports, these were George's last games for the time being, and a new coach is to be appointed.

Osimhen in the pillory because of George?

"I asked Finidi George to allow me to stay with the players in the camp, but Finidi told me not to worry about it, I should stay with my family," Osimhen explained why he was also absent from the matches. "Now, after two bad games, everyone is blaming me," he lamented.

"I know how many injuries I have played with for Nigeria and I played with my heart and soul, but after two bad games everyone is now attacking me," Osimhen continued in an emotional tone.