By Wale Mustapha
Former England international and football pundit Gary Lineker has publicly apologized to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen for previously questioning his commitment and consistency on the pitch.
The apology came in the aftermath of Osimhen’s standout performance in Galatasaray’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week.
The Super Eagles forward scored the decisive goal and was named Man of the Match for his dominant display.
Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Football, which he co-hosts with former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, Lineker acknowledged that his earlier comments regarding Osimhen’s reliability were unfounded.
“I need to apologise to Victor Osimhen. I remember that I intimated that he goes missing sometimes, and I believe that is completely not the case,” Lineker said.
“So, Victor, if you are listening, I’m sorry about that. You should not spread rumours about these things, so my bad on that.”
The 26-year-old Nigerian international joined Galatasaray on a four-year deal during the summer transfer window and has quickly become a key figure at the club.
Osimhen is expected to lead the line again this weekend when Galatasaray take on arch-rivals Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
