Following his big-money move from OSC Lille to SC Napoli, much is being expected from Victor Osimhen but purists unanimously agreed that the Nigerian international striker is well-grounded to make hay in the Serie A, reports MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN

Playing his football  as well as eking out a living on the streets of Lagos, Victor Osimhen, Nigeria international striker, had only one desire: to be the best and successful.

Osimhen is now the man of the moment, hugging the headlines from Lagos to London and from Naples to Niamey as the most expensive African player ever after signing a mind-blowing $96 million transfer deal to join Italian Serie A side, SC Napoli, from Lille in the French Ligue 1.

His meteoric rise from obscurity to fame is an epic–the stuff made for Hollywood.

After impressive outings with Synergy Ultimate strikers and in the Lagos Junior League (LJL), Osimhen was on a higher pedestal when he topped strike for the Golden Eaglets class of 2015 that was crafted by Coach Emmanuel Amuneke along with the likes of Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze and Huelva midfielder Kelechi Nwakali.

After some difficult start, the then frail-looking Osimhen started scoring goals in number for the national Under-17 team; and was the team’s top scorer at the 2015 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with four goals in five matches at the tournament Nigeria finished fourth to secure one of the continent’s four tickets along with Mali, South Africa and Guinea for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015.

“Of course, you can see that Victor had qualities right from the start and as expected, he needed to be moulded into a very good player,” Amuneke, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year, explained. “It was not an easy task but collectively, we worked on him and before you knew it, he became one of the most important players in the team.”

At the World Cup in  Chile, Osimhen was as brilliant as electric light and he scored a remarkable 10 goals in seven matches to break the long-standing record of nine goals in a single tournament jointly held previously by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly.

Such  scoring landmark made him one of the most sought after teenagers in the world but he opted for German Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg where against expectations was sparingly used and played just 12 matches and mostly as substitutes for the senior team over two seasons.

He was farmed out on loan to Belgian club Charleroi, but like a storm-trooper, Osimhen billowed through the Belgian Jupiler League with goals during the season-long loan spell with The Zebras. Here, he scored an impressive scoring 20 goals in 36 matches in all competitions, including the record-breaking quickest goal in the history of the Belgian First Division A with an 8.15second opening goal against Antwerp on 26th May 2019; and was voted the club’s player of the season.

At French Ligue 1 side, OSC Lille, Osimhen was equally at his goal-grabbing almighty best last season as he scored 18 goals and assisted six more goals in 38 matches to be so coveted by bigger teams in the four major European leagues of England, Germany, Spain and Italy.

“From the beginning, I knew the only thing I wanted to do was playing football despite the fact that I have other talents,” the street-wise Osimhen explained in a definitive with this writer in 2015.“Of course, I love music; and I can compose and sing very well but playing football was all that I wanted to do.

“I was born with the talents but learned playing football well by watching my elder brother who used to be a striker in a neighbourhood club; I aspired to be better than him because he didn’t play too long.”

Read Also: Victor Osimhen: Goal-scoring showstopper can light up Napoli

The young Osimhen’s passion for football and fervour for hard work was there for all to see from the start and those that saw his infantile state agreed to the fact that whatever the mind can conceive, and believe can be achieved -the 21-year-old rose from nothing

“I’m very proud that Osimhen was a product of the Lagos Junior League (LJL) that I created,” Aromire Taofik Bello, the CEO of Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame told The Nation. “It was also during my time as the CEO of the LJL that Wilfred Ndidi also came out; I would say Osimhen was our best natural talent.

“Victor just wanted to win; he’s a consummate athlete and often, you see him nagging or whining that he didn’t get a pass or when a referee blew against him. He was consistently the highest goals-scorer for Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (under Ikeja Local Government Area) at that time.

“He was also passionate and I think Victor fits the description by Sir Alex Fergusson of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his autobiography ‘as a player with fantastic patience’ because he has natural goal-post accuracy,” he reiterated.

No wonder the management of Napoli grabbed the bull by the horns to acquire the service of the boy made in Lagos, Nigeria.

“We are very happy at Osimhen’s arrival,” said Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis. “Gattuso really wanted to sign Osimhen. (Director of sport Cristiano) Giuntoli did a great job because the lad changed his agents during the negotiations. “Lille will receive circa €80m, while the player over the years will get between €4m and €4.5m per season.”

The transformation of Osimhen from a teenage striker to world-acclaimed superstar did not come as a surprise to the owner of 36 Lion FC Hajj Liameed Gafar who happens to be a long-time advisor of the Super Eagles striker.

“January 2016, I told Victor, his late  father, his brother Andrew, his agents and his youth coach (Chinedu) that no single defender will be able to stop him,” Gafar told The Nation.“ I told them he will be transferred for over 50 Million Euros in four years and this is the fourth year (smiles).”

He added: “Off the pitch, he (Victor) is just like an average Nigeria young man like my son and your son who wanted to enjoy life. But with proper guidance, he will balance his life off the pitch with that of on the pitch and do well.

“Most sportsmen I know lived 900 months so you see that a footballer’s job is 90 minutes on the pitch and 900 months off the pitch. May God almighty please guide Victor to balance the equation?”

So what is the impact of this stupendous transfer on Nigerian and African football in general?

Foremost Nigerian sports journalist and Executive Vice Chairman Mastersports International Limited, Mitchel Obi, said Osimhen’s transfer was ground-breaking for a youngster from the African continent.

“It’s a landmark transfer not only for the Nigerian soccer sphere but also the continent,” Obi, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Africa President told The Nation. “It reminds us of the depth of talents within our fold and the need to invest deliberately in the game with a view a cultivating and creating a culture of viable dividends in getting our players to where it matters as the Brazilians have done successfully.

“Victor is indeed a victor and his progression from age-group football to the national team and a big club is a worthy template for those seeking a career pathway in the game.

“Surely this is a coup de grace for Napoli and we can look forward to a Victor Osimhen in Jersey number 9 building a fan base that spreads from Euro to Africa.”

Until most recently,  African players were often bought as cheap articles by  shrewd European clubs but the forward-looking  Federal Capital City Football Association (FCTFA) chairman, Adam Mouktar Mohammed said  Osimhen’s  big-money move from Lille to Napoli is a game-changer, adding African players will now be valued commensurate to their talents as it’s often done for players from South American countries of Brazil and Argentina.

“Osimhen’s transfer is a breakthrough for Nigerian football from a value perspective; he is purely a talent made in Nigeria,” remarked Mohammed who was recently elected Vice President of the Nigeria Teqball Federation (NIGTEQ).

“This case study will go a long way in changing how African players are both valued and respected; it shows with a good team around the player and a solid plan and the player follows advice step-by-step he can reach the dizzy heights of playing and making an impact in the world’s top football clubs.”

He continued: “I think this will give more belief to the African football value chain from the grassroots coaches to the parents, to the players with big dreams that with hard work, discipline, dedication and professionalism it’s possible.

“We are going to see more respect from clubs, agents and fans across the world for Nigerian players. And you will see a renewed dedication in investment in academies and clubs for young talents across the continent.”

But for Emeka Enyadike,   the broadcaster who is widely regarded as one of the most trusted voices in African football said the intermediaries that mastermind the deal for Osimhen must be commended, adding the huge transfer fee paid by Napoli is beyond symbolism.

“Victor Osimhen and his agents have made an inspired choice moving to Napoli rather than the Premier League,” explained Enyadike, Director, Digital Sports Africa. “He has already become Africa’s highest transfer and will be even more valued when he moves next to either Spain or the Premier League where he will be sought after by either Real Madrid or Barcelona or the big Guns in England, Liverpool, Manchester United or Man City.

“I am really excited because we will get a very experienced Striker for the Super Eagles who already has a good scoring record.

“Nigeria can leverage on his transfer by looking to work with his club by building good rapport especially with regards to how we call him up to games and how we can ensure they feel comfortable to sign more of our Players.”

Of course,  Osimhen’s comparisons with some notable football great is inevitable following  his arrival at the San Paolo Stadium that used to house the legendary Argentine  striker and World’s Best Player Diego Maradona.

“Osimhen’s transfer to Napoli is one every Nigerian should be proud of,” Col. Sam Ahmedu, the Nigerian Director at Qatar-based Aspire Academy and President FIBA Africa Zone 3 told The Nation.  “Considering the fact that he will be playing in Napoli, a club with perennial European Champions League experience “It’s also an added uplift that he will be at a club where legend Diego Maradona played.

“The £50m plus add-ons transfer fees will put more Nigerian players in the big league and hopefully he will become a legend and revered at the club like Maradona.”

Speaking in the same vein,  former president of Athletics Federation of  Nigeria(AFN) chief Dan Ngerem said  The Parthenopeans would  expectedly want Osimhen to follow on the tradition of past  big players of the club, adding the former U-17 World Cup winner would find comfort in Naples which houses a rich Nigerian community.

“In my considered opinion, this (Osimhen’s transfer to Napoli) is a fantastic move and very good news for Nigeria sports brand equity and PR and will be good for the young 21-year-old and Nigeria sports in generally particularly football,” noted Ngerem in a clearly-worded commentary for The Nation. “I have been to Napoli many times and it is a lovely city with vibrant Nigeria community living in the city; and in some areas of the city, you will be forgiven if you think you are in areas of Lagos (with similar G-CAPPA)  type architecture dotted in parts of Lagos where Victor grew up. In other words, Victor will feel at home easily and will adapt quickly.”

Still, Ngerem noted that the rank and file of the Naples side would judge Osimhem based on his performance on the club.

“To underscore the massive challenges the young man may face as soon as he lands in Napoli let me highlight a few examples: He will be a forward that is expected to score goals in a club where no other than one of the all-time greats in the mercurial Diego Maradona once held sway and is still affectionately revered in Napoli  “Comparisons will be inevitable, especially given the huge sums Napoli has put out to sign him on. As if Maradona’s  shoes are not big enough, he will be replacing the Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik who will be leaving the club because he could not agree on terms; so, his other teammates may be looking for some kind of ‘magic’ from the young Nigerian.”

But former Super Eagles’ captain and coach Sunday Oliseh who is the first Nigerian ever to play in the Italian Serie A with A.C. Reggiana,  said Osimhen has what it takes to be a reference point at Napoli

“As far as technical ability is concerned, I rate Victor very high.”

Oliseh who later played for Juventus after stints at Dortmund and Ajax told The Nation. “I’d wanted to invite him to the Super Eagles in 2016 when I was still coaching because we’d wanted to integrate him as one of the youngsters just had brought him (Wilfred) Ndidi; (Alex) Iwobi and goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and even (Kelechi) Iheanacho.

“So I rate him so highly and from what  I saw in the French Ligue I  during the last season, he played well. He was exceptional but the only question mark is the fact that the French League is not as competitive as the English, Spanish or Italian league. But when it comes to quality, the guy is very, very good.”

But to proper with goals in the tough and demanding Serie A, Oliseh further counselled Osimhen:“ For Victor to play well in the Italian league, he has to integrate himself with the team and must have a good understanding with the coach.

“My advice is that he must continue with his hunger for goals because as a striker in Italy, the assumption and expectation of everybody is not that you played well but that you scored goals,” he noted.