Osimhen is hungry, not angry

I wasn’t fortunate enough to watch the last match Nigeria played against the Benin Republic. I later got to watch the highlights. I felt goosebumps with the goals. What a striker, I whispered to myself. His facial expressions were consistent with the grave importance of the match. It resonated as a win-or-nothing. His passion was palpable. Thank God he didn’t betray emotions. He betrayed Gernot Rohr, the current Benin Republic coach, who recalled him to the Super Eagles while he held sway as Super Eagles coach in 2018. He netted thrice and confirmed the postulations of football pundits. His name is Victor Osimhen, the boy who once hawked sachet water on the streets of Lagos.

A difficult journey

Victor Osimhen’s trajectory in football is worthy of research. From his first season in Europe with VfL Wolfsburg in 2017, he began the journey that was with its attendant challenges. He failed to score any goals for the club and was loaned out to Charleroi in the Belgian Pro League, not after being rejected by two clubs, Zulte Waregem and Club Brugge. It was naturally expected that a player who won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, and the 2015 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Youth Player of the Year, could not hit the net for his club after that remarkable feat, would be hungry for goals.

It was at Lille that he turned that switch on again, with 18 goals registered in his name in his season-long spell at the French club. In 2020, he moved to Napoli in the Italian League and made a remarkable mark for himself. He won the Serie A Best Young Player award in the 2021–22 season. He was also the top scorer in the league in the next campaign with 26 goals, the highest ever by an African player in the history of the Serie A, and was also named the Serie A Footballer of the Year after helping Napoli win the league title in 33 years.

He braved the odds

I don’t want to talk about his transfer saga. But he proved he is not a fluke with what he did at Galatasaray during his loan spell. He was hungry. His passion was palpable. And he earned his rose. If you recognize his passion for the game, then you must forgive his temperament. I likened him to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was referred to as the “lion”. He was bullish. A striker must be bullish because football is a nervous activity, and strikers feel this nervousness more. Their job is to score goals, and it takes a lot to score goals. You are always a subject of hard tackles from opponents to prevent you from scoring goals. And in that melee, emotions can escalate, especially when the striker is not “protected” by the referee.

Protection is business, not fair play

Some players are “protected” by the referee. It is not intentional. Referees are humans. Some players add colour to the game, and instinctively, referees protect this set of players. For example, a game that has Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is always an interesting one. They are always the player to watch because they make the game beautiful for the spectators. Victor Osimhen is not on the list. But not anymore. Referees are now cautious of his reactions. His reaction on the pitch should not be the yardstick. His status as a prolific striker is sufficient. He is not an angry player in my assessment. He is just a player hungry to score goals, and whenever there are hard tackles, he agitates. Don’t forget that to date, he uses a face mask after a horrible face injury in a match against Inter Milan that left him with six plates and 18 screws inserted into his face.

I picked a statement from the commentator during the highlights of the match between Nigeria and the Benin Republic. He said, “Victor Osimhen deserves a mention in the conversation around the best strikers in the world.” That was a very instructive statement. It was also indicative and supports my position that he must be protected not only by the referees, but also by big brands in the footballing world. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo is signed by 37 brands across the world. Lionel Messi is signed to 43 brands. There is this consciousness to protect these brands by proxy. For example, if Cristiano Ronaldo is injured through a hard tackle, Nike might be agitated. It is not good for business. The more he plays and scores beautiful goals, the positive impact it has on their brand and business.

There is no place like home

For Victor Osimhen, charity must begin at home. For example, if a big brand in Nigeria or Africa that has global recognition signs him as an ambassador, it might confer him some protection and recognition. Victor Osimhen is African, and his presence in Europe and Asia can’t be compared to other big players in his league off the pitch. The build-up to giving him adequate recognition must begin at home. Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about the figures. I am looking at it from a strategic standpoint that has the potential to bring about that awareness about him off the pitch. The off-pitch activities are as important as on-the-pitch performances. They go hand-in-hand.

This has been the lot of most African footballers who made great exploits in Europe. Look at the likes of George Weah, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba. George Weah’s most significant deal was with Diadora. Samuel Eto’s significant deals were with Puma, Ford and UNICEF. Jay Jay Okocha had a few, same for Kanu Nwankwo. Didier Drogba led the pack with three major deals with Nike, Pepsi and Samsung. He was one of the protected players in the English Premier League, even though his style of play was largely physical and intense. You would easily forgive him if he goes into overdrive on some match days. It’s passion and nervousness that were responsible. And he represents some global brands as an ambassador.

We might repeat history with Victor Osimhen. Some might want to argue that his temperament on the pitch might be a factor. I disagree. That is the essence of this piece: to explain that the young chap is not angry, but hungry. He is hungry to score goals, and several factors play out. I repeat, if you recognize his passion for the game, then you must forgive his temperament. He deserves to be protected and given the credit that he deserves. The lad is on fire.