Most superstars are brats. Yet, it is important to stress also that no rich man’s kid plays the beautiful game – soccer, which has consistently served as the vehicle for kids of poor people to change the peasant lifestyle of their families with wealth generated with their God-given talent.
Victor Osimhen should be told by handlers that he needs to learn to be patient in his interactions with people. He should realise that as brand ambassador to many thriving business concerns, a lot is expected of him. He should be found worthy in character and learning, even if he isn’t a graduate yet. No business concern would love to identify its brands, goods and services with an ambassador who would pour odium on their brands through needless controversies.
Sadly, players in the team have confirmed Osimhen’s unruly conduct severally in training with the coaches and even NFF, NSC chiefs papering over the issue, as if Osimhen is untouchable. Pity! The consequence of recruiting Lilliputian coaches.
”You people are just overreacting. Osimhen is like that even in training; so it’s nothing new to the rest of the team. It’s in his nature to be that explosive but it’s nothing serious”, a player in the team said.
”As a new player in the team, the other senior players told us about similar incidents in the past which was amicably resolved. To you people outside it’s a big issue, but here we see it as normal because it happens almost every time”, he stated.
What Osimhen did to Lookman was despicable for a team mate who was his successor to the Africa Footballer of the Year diadem. Osimhen needs to be reminded that Lookman won the U-17 World Cup playing for England. He also won the U-20 World Cup playing for England. One therefore, can’t see what would have driven Osimhen to disrespect Lookman. This is certainly the dying Elephant’s last kick. Osimhen humiliated Finidi George and got away with it based on the emotional attachment Nigerians had towards Osimhen, which wasn’t fair. Finidi was a critical player for the Super Eagles, scoring goals with aplomb and providing assists to mates to score goals. Finidi belongs to the league of Super Eagles’ stars who scored goals for Nigeria at the senior World Cup, a competition Osimhen hasn’t participated in. Finidi has won the AFCON title, Osimhen hasn’t. Finidi won the UEFA Champions League crown with Ajax FC of Holland, Osimhen hasn’t. Why the NFF and indeed the NSC chieftains belittled Finidi before Osimhen is the Karma which has haunted the Edo-born striker to Morocco. Osimhen’s foolery towards Lookman can be likened to the dying Elephant’s last kick. Indeed, his bus stop. Who cares if he doesn’t play for Nigeria again?
If the Eagles’ outings have been spectacular, it has been largely due to Alex Iwobi’s immaculate defence splitting passes and the sparkling manner he has marshalled the team, with the strikers the biggest benefactor. So, a badly behaved Osimhen must be told categorically that successes in football matches rests solely with good team work.
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Mention must be made about the swiftness in curtailing what could have broken the team to pieces as exhibited by the NFF and NSC chiefs in Morocco. The damage control was top notch, although the social media feasted on it maximally, which may have jolted our sports administrators to act decisively.
The team’s administrator, Dayo Enebi, informed the international media in Morocco on Tuesday that: “There is no problem whatsoever in our camp. Whatever people saw as a crisis between two brothers was easily resolved a couple of hours later. All is good and we are presently at training,”
Osimhen was seen making gestures to fellow forward Ademola Lookman just before a corner kick, and conjectures of various complexions have followed in the legacy and digital media. Osimhen netted a brace in the encounter to move to 34 goals in 50 matches for Nigeria – only three less than the Nigeria senior record of 37 goals by ‘Goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory).
Ademola Lookman, who had two goals and two assists before the match, having played in the games against Tanzania and Tunisia while sitting out the encounter with Uganda, added another goal and three exquisite assists on Monday night.
It is true that such high profile shows of shame abound in the game globally, but it shouldn’t involve our best exports to the European leagues. Osimhen and Lookman are previous African Footballer of the Year award winners who should be emulated not despised in the media. Indeed, Osimhen can’t be pampered to be right in his altacations. Otherwise, he would find himself standing alone on the pitch without team mates to play with. No man is infallible.
Osimhen should note that the lifespan of athletes in their sport is between five years and 10 years, injuries permitting. It simply means Osimhen should learn to control his quick temper. There is life to live after football. He won’t say he isn’t aware of the business angle in retirement for great achievers like him, such as being used as a brand ambassador for their goods and services across the world.
What has impressed me so far is Osimhen’s post-match stoic silence over the issues surrounding the game. Equally impressive has been Lookman’s constant description of Osimhen as his brother; this shows clearly how well he has acculturated playing the game. Lookman in all the press meetings listens attentively before he blows the media away with his informed responses.
I, therefore, won’t dwell on this matter but wait until today at 5pm to see how well both of them would play against the Algerians inside the 45,000-capacity Grand Stade de Marrakech on Saturday, in the third quarter-final match of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals. Incidentally, when Morocco hosted the AFCON in 1988 (the only previous championship the North African Kingdom staged), Cameroon clashed with Morocco in the first semi-final while Nigeria and Algeria clashed in the second semi-final. The quartet are now repeating history at the quarter-final stage.
Thirty-eight years ago, Nigeria edged Algeria in a marathon penalty shootout after regulation and extra time ended 1-1, while Cameroon edged hosts Morocco to set up a Nigeria-Cameroon Final. The Indomitable Lions won that controversial Final 1-0. This time around the two countries would meet in the semi-final – Nigeria versus Cameroon – I’m salivating already.
Yes, why are we so blessed. Why do our sports administrators find it difficult to learn from past experiences – in this case the issue of not paying our players what was promised them.
“The NFF, the Sports Commission, the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, and the CBN are all involved.
Fundamentally, the money for this AFCON is approved and being processed through the right channels. It’s a matter of timing,” the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“Let me give you the timelines of how the issues work. First and foremost, I must tell you that Mr. President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, duly approved the special budget for the AFCON as far back as November 14, 2025,” he said.
“But approving the money is different from getting the money out. It takes time for the money to be processed through Finance, the Office of the Accountant General, and the CBN.”
When would we overcome these bureaucratic bottlenecks to save us the international disgrace of our players refusing to train or threatening not to travel to competition venue because of unfufilled promises to them?
