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| Victor Osimhen must be made to apologize remorsefully to coach George Finidi following his ill-advised rant on the coach's resignation statement. (Photo credit: GOAL) |
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has damaged his reputation with a needless rant against the former coach of the Super Eagles, George Finidi, in an unfortunate display of shame.
News broke out on Saturday that the recently-appointed head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, George Finidi, resigned from his post following two poor outings against South Africa and the Republic of Benin, games in which he recorded a draw and a loss, respectively.
The two results, leaving Nigeria in fifth place on the log in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, have agitated fans. Finidi’s resignation was shocking, but the incident that followed left many bewildered.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen went on a live video to criticize the departing manager, calling him names and using foul language against Finidi, and everyone connected to the story reacted negatively. The incident has led to many chiming in with their personal opinions.
To start with, there’s no evidence anywhere that Finidi mentioned Osimhen’s name, which would lead anyone to ask what exactly his problem was. Rumors circulated that Finidi stated in his resignation letter that "he cannot force anyone to play for the Super Eagles."
Osimhen, who missed the two games Finidi managed due to injury, mistakenly believed the statement was directed at him, which infuriated him. Popular journalist Fabrizio Romano immediately posted his video on his page.
Why did Finidi resign? According to an inside source, the former Enyimba coach felt betrayed upon learning that the NFF plans to hire a foreign technical adviser to manage the Super Eagles' affairs, to whom Finidi will report without prior notice.
Finidi felt belittled and resigned immediately upon hearing the news. The ripple effect of this has sparked heated debates in the football world, with various perspectives on the issue, but Osimhen needs to reflect on the incident and reconsider his actions in the future.
Players have agents for a variety of reasons. The Napoli player could have waited for his spokesman to handle the issue. Considering the lack of physical evidence—not disputing the fact that someone could have inundated Osimhen with the rumored statement by Finidi—he should have maintained class amid the chaos.
Disrespecting the outgoing head coach is as shameful as it gets; if not properly handled, it will grow roots of discord in the national team and, as such, will only give birth to the gross indiscipline that has haunted the team in recent years.