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Osimhen must control his temper as opponents target him, says Odemwingie
Former Nigeria forward Osaze Odemwingie has warned Victor Osimhen that his increasingly frequent on-field confrontations are damaging his image, although he acknowledged that the Galatasaray striker may have been provoked during a pre-season clash with Villarreal.
Osimhen was involved in an incident during the friendly after appearing to confront Villarreal defender Santiago Mourino. The Nigeria international had to be pulled away by Galatasaray team-mates as tensions escalated between the pair.
Replays showed Mourino handling Osimhen during the confrontation, but it was the forward’s response and the speed with which the exchange intensified that attracted particular attention.
Odemwingie, who played for Nigeria and Lille, said he could understand why Osimhen reacted strongly, having experienced similar situations during his own career.
“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 programme No Holds Barred.
However, when asked whether Osimhen’s conduct could be defended, Odemwingie made clear that he did not support the way the striker responded.
“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.”
Osimhen has come under increased scrutiny in recent times after a series of high-profile confrontations involving team-mates, coaches and opponents.
Odemwingie believes defenders are deliberately trying to unsettle the Galatasaray forward because of the danger he poses on the pitch.
“Defenders are scared of him and they will try to upset him and get under his skin.”
The former Lille striker also urged Osimhen to remain grounded as his reputation continues to grow.
“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.”
Odemwingie stressed that the full circumstances surrounding the Villarreal incident were not known and warned against reaching a firm conclusion based only on the available footage.
“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.”
“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.”
Osimhen is one of the most prominent players in the Nigeria squad and has established himself as a major name in European football. Odemwingie’s comments underline the balance the striker must find between responding to provocation and avoiding disciplinary or reputational damage.
The discussion was published by Africa’s First and Nigeria’s leading sports radio station, 88.9 Brila FM.
The report also appeared alongside coverage of former Nigeria international Seyi Olofinjana’s call for a reset after the country’s World Cup failures, under the headline: “Super Eagles shirt no longer heavy”.
