Super Eagles’ hitman, Victor Osimhen has come out with an elaborate explanation of his heated reaction during Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique.
Sports247 reports that social media has been abuzz with scripts, audio inserts and visuals of what appeared to be a face-off between the Galatasaray of Turkey striker and back-to-form Atalanta of Italy winger, Ademola Lookman.
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Although Lookman played down the on-field confrontation and Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Sekou Chelle insisted it was an ‘internal matter,’ Osimhen has admitted that he lost his temper in the thick of action.
The second highest top scorer ever in the Nigerian national team, however, stressed that he acted in the best interest of the Eagles, their fans and the country.
While recounting how he was singled out as the fall-guy when the Eagles failed to defeat DR Congo in the World Cup qualification play-off final, the 2023 African Footballer of The Year confessed that he wanted to score more goals against Mozambique.
He had already netted twice in the game before tempers flared, and it took the intervention of team skipper, Wilfred Ndidi to calm things down, but Osimhen posited that nothing should stop a player from scoring as many goals as possible in any match.
Osimhen recalled, “When we did not qualify for the World Cup, everyone called me out. They forgot about other players. That’s when I understood the weight is on me.
“We scored three goals already but, in football, five goals can be scored in three minutes. That’s why we did not have to relax. The whole country is counting on us. If we fail, they’ll drag us everywhere … especially me.”
Sports247 gathered further that Eagles’ team coordinator, Dayo Enebi Achor disclosed in a press statement on Tuesday evening that peace had returned to the squad and Osimhen was part of the day’s training session.
Also, part of the session was Sevilla of Spain striker, Akor Adams, who reportedly took permission to see his ill mother in a Moroccan hospital, but he was back in camp after spending a single hour for the visit.
The presence of Adams and Osimhen meant 26 players trained on Tuesday evening in Fes, as Ryan Alebiosu is out of the competition with an injury copped against Uganda, while Cyrirl Dessers has returned to his club in Greece after he got a knock in training.
The team will have their last training in Fes on Wednesday evening and on Thursday head out to Marrakech, where they will face Algeria in the quarterfinals on Saturday, which will be their first match at a different venue since the start of AFCON 2025.
