Nigeria Players Abroad
Osaze Odemwingie urges Victor Osimhen to control on-field confrontations
Former Nigeria international Osaze Odemwingie has advised Victor Osimhen to manage his emotions more effectively after the striker was involved in a heated confrontation with Villarreal defender Santiago Mourino.
Odemwingie believes Osimhen’s visible frustration is becoming too frequent and warned that opponents will attempt to exploit it by provoking the Galatasaray forward during matches.
The comments follow Osimhen’s clash with Mourino in Galatasaray’s pre-season friendly against Villarreal at RAMS Park. The Nigeria international was involved in an altercation with the Uruguay defender during Galatasaray’s 2-1 defeat at the weekend.
Osimhen was reportedly angered after Mourino used his body to stop him from moving into a dangerous position inside the penalty area.
Speaking on Brila FM’s breakfast show No Holds Barred, Odemwingie said he understood why Osimhen may have reacted but did not support the behaviour.
“As somebody who has been on the pitch; somebody with experience, I understand that reaction. Sometimes we get provoked, and especially in friendly games, it annoys more because it’s a friendly game,” Odemwingie said on Brila FM’s breakfast show ‘No Holds Barred’.
“I don’t back this behaviour because my first feeling was, “Not again”. I’ve seen it quite a bit. It’s happening a bit more often than it should. I think Osimhen needs to understand that he’s a threat.
“Defenders are scared of him and they will try to upset him and get under his skin.”
Odemwingie also urged Osimhen to remain humble as he continues to establish himself as one of the most prominent forwards in world football.
“He needs to deal with this and be humble. He’s becoming a big name in football and this will naturally get into his head, but, he needs to find a way to be more humble,” he added.
The former Nigeria player said Osimhen’s reaction may have been influenced by something said before the incident, although he stressed that the precise circumstances remain unclear.
“Before you jump to conclusions, you have to look a little bit more into it. There may have been something said before that incident, so we can only speculate for now,” Odemwingie said.
“If you ask Victor why he reacted that way, he might tell you that the player said something. But for now, we can only speculate and think about what was going on in his mind.”
Odemwingie’s warning centres on the risk that Osimhen’s opponents could use his emotional responses to disrupt his performance and draw the attention of referees. He said the striker must avoid giving defenders an easy opportunity to target him, particularly given the threat he poses in the penalty area.
Osimhen’s confrontation with Mourino came in a pre-season fixture, where Odemwingie noted that provocation can feel particularly frustrating because such matches are not competitive. However, he maintained that the striker must find a way to control his reactions regardless of the circumstances.
