Nigerian Football Federation to Discipline Victor Osimhen Over Outburst Against Ex-Coach Finidi George
Nigerian Football Federation to Discipline Victor Osimhen Over Outburst Against Ex-Coach Finidi George
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is set to initiate disciplinary action against Victor Osimhen, the Super Eagles striker, following his verbal attack and disrespectful behaviour towards former national team coach, Finidi George. The Napoli forward’s outburst was sparked by reports that Finidi had questioned Osimhen’s commitment to the team.
Osimhen expressed his anger after missing the team’s World Cup qualifier matches against South Africa and Benin Republic, which resulted in a 1-1 draw and a 1-2 loss, respectively. These outcomes caused the team to drop to fifth place in their group, trailing leader Rwanda by four points.
A source from the NFF stated, “The president of the NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has already spoken with Osimhen about his outburst. Finidi also reached out to him, explaining that the report Osimhen reacted to was fake and misleading. Unfortunately, Osimhen did not verify the information before responding and did so in a disrespectful manner.
The source added, “Osimhen is a role model, and to help the incoming coach establish authority, we need to set an example. Osimhen crossed the line with his outburst, and even after Finidi explained, he refused to retract his statements. We won’t condone this behaviour, and after the Salah break, we will address the issue. Until he apologies, he won’t be part of the team again.
The controversy arose from alleged comments by Finidi George about the commitment of Osimhen and other Super Eagles players. Although Finidi denied making such statements, the situation has generated significant debate.
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Idah Peterside, in a viral video, insisted that Osimhen must apologise or face exclusion from the team. He emphasized that Finidi George, being a legend, should not be disrespected.
