Victor Osimhen has responded fiercely to former Super Eagles coach Finidi George‘s claims about his commitment to Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles ahead of the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers this month.
The Napoli striker, who has been the subject of intense transfer speculation linking him to Chelsea and Arsenal, expressed his frustration in a six-minute rant on Instagram, targeting Finidi.
Finidi had suggested that it was challenging to discipline certain players, claiming that Osimhen had opted out of two World Cup qualifying matches despite being fit to play. He accused Osimhen of selectively choosing which games to participate in.
Osimhen, angered by these accusations, took to Instagram Live to voice his displeasure:
“I called Finidi George when he was appointed and told him: ‘Let’s do great things together.’ I asked him to let me stay with the players in the camp, but he told me to stay with my family. Now, after two bad games, everyone is blaming me.”
He continued, “I always play my heart out for Nigeria. I know how many injuries I’ve played through for Nigeria. But after two bad games, everyone is attacking me. I have lost all respect for him.
“I always call my teammates to encourage them, but after these games, I wasn’t even part of the team. I got injured in the last minute of our last match. The MRI confirmed an ankle injury. I won’t allow disrespect from anyone. I play my heart out for Nigeria.”
Despite Osimhen’s injury, Finidi maintained that the striker could have played in the matches.
Osimhen was ruled out for four weeks due to a twisted ankle, and he now feels unfairly targeted for the Super Eagles’ failure to win those games.
The 25-year-old striker remains a hot topic in football transfer news, but his recent comments have highlighted the tension between him and the former coach.
Under Finidi’s leadership, the Super Eagles suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to the Benin Republic in Abidjan, following a 1-1 draw against South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
These results leave the Super Eagles winless after four matches, sitting in fifth place in Group C with just three points, putting Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in serious jeopardy.
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