Osimhen a hero for local youth; Napoli popularity rising - but we hope for Prem move

When you see Victor Osimhen's athleticism, strength and amazing first touch on display, you have no choice but to give credit to those who taught him the basics.

Osimhen was first recognised by Ultimate Strikers Academy, a football academy for kids in Nigeria. He joined the academy as an eleven year old after his father had placed him in one of the coaches' care.

Chinedu Ogbenna had known Victor from his very birth and had seen his qualities even as a child and was therefore happy to take him into the academy.

"From the day of his arrival he was always serious and determined in what he did. His existence was filled with a craving for daily improvement," Ogbenna famously said of his Ultimate Strikers Academy protégé.

Given the nickname "Mr Hat Trick" by the locals in Nigeria for his goalscoring exploits, Osimhen has grown to be a hero for locals as there can hardly be a conversation amongst them about Nigerian footballers without his name being at the very forefront. He had also been nicknamed "Odosi" as a child, a name given him to him by his landlord because he was quite the stubborn kid.

Originally hailing from the Esan Local Government Area of Edo state and born in Oregun, Lagos, Osimhen's rise to prominence began at the U-17 World Cup in 2015, scoring a whopping 10 goals in just 7 appearances to take home the Golden Boot (for the highest goal scorer), a record tally till this day and the Silver Ball (as the tournament's second best player), leading Nigeria to a second consecutive U-17 World Cup win.

He was then signed by Wolfsburg in a largely unproductive spell, failing to score in 14 appearances with the bulk of his games being substitutions and cameos. In 2017, he moved to Sporting Charleroi on loan where he started to replicate the talismanic goalscoring that led his national team to glory in 2015.

Because of his good run of form, Charleroi activated their option to buy but they wouldn't be able to keep him for long. This is because Lille came calling and he moved to the Ligue 1 club where he was voted the club's best player for the 2019/20 season.

A year later, he was on the move again, this time to Napoli in a £70m transfer (£80m with add-ons), which currently is the highest ever for an African in history, a testament to how established he has become.

On the international front, he has scored 15 goals in 22 senior appearances for Nigeria. Well backed by the local Nigerian fans,

Osimhen is considered the main driving force of his country's new generation and was sorely missed in the 2022 AFCON tournament with the Super Eagles not making it past the Round of 16 in his absence. Many were of the opinion that such would not have been the case had he been available.

Most Nigerians weren't big on Napoli as a football club before his arrival, but now some find ways to stream Serie A games to see how Osimhen fairs on the pitch. As a Nigerian, I know that streaming games is no small feat because of the expensive cost of data in the country.

Osimhen is a very humble person too, as demonstrated in his constant interaction with the youth when he's back in his country, playing the beautiful game with them, giving them meaningful advice and attracting a crowd wherever he plays. He is a role model for the young ones in Nigeria as his story is one that's filled with adversities that required hard work, determination and drive to overcome.

Many Nigerians are happy for Osimhen where he is, but we're mostly Premier League fans here and many would be elated if their Golden Boy moved to one of the high ranking Premier League teams. He is easily Nigeria's best and most popular player at the moment and Nigerians will only hope that he can keep his head and continue to deliver as he so often does.

A memorable example is the story of Macaulay Chrisantus who himself had initially gained prominence after winning the Golden Boot at the U-17 World Cup that Nigeria won in 2007. He had been touted as the next big thing but couldn't keep the same level he had started with and went on to become a peripheral figure in football, having played at a total of 14 clubs and not managing a single senior appearance for his country.

Nigerians will be banking on Osimhen to stay in shape, keep in form and continue to earn plaudits for himself, his club and his country.

 

 

CULLED BY: TRIBAL FOOTBALL