.As Napoli star refuses to apologise
Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, has played a fatherly role in the Victor Osimhen-George Finidi faceoff to avoid further escalation, The Guardian can exclusively report
A reliable aource at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed to The Guardian on Tuesday afternoon that the country’s soccer governing body, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was irked by Osimhen’s outburst and had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter with the sole aim of coming hard on the Napoli forward.
However, the timely intervention of Senator Enoh, who pleaded with the Glass House chieftains, to tread with caution and not throw the baby out with bathwater has quelled the matter.
” The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are unhappy with Osimhen for that outburst which has put him in a bad light before Nigerians. It came at a time Nigeria was struggling to pick its first win in the World Cup qualifiers.
“I must confess to you that the NFF hierarchy was stunned by Osimhen’s actions, and it took the timely intervention of Sports Minister, Senator Owan Eno to forestall any escalation.
“Osimhen is yet to tender any formal apology to Finidi, NFF, and Nigerians for his rants,” top NFF officials told The Guardian.
Recall Finidi was quoted to have said he won’t beg Osimhen to play for the national team after the player withdrew from their last two 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to injury.
The striker was said to have been ruled out by a four-week injury and was replaced by Enugu Rangers defender, Kenneth Igboke.
But following the Super Eagles wobbling performances against South Africa and Benin Republic, the narrative of Osimhen’s absence changed as the online medium (not The Guardian) reported that Finidi capitalised on Osimhen’s absence as a poser for the players’ bad attitude towards the national team when he and the NFF chiefs met with the sports minister in Abuja early this month.
An infruiated Osimhen had, in a live Instagram video, said that he had lost respect for Finidi and opened up on the circumstances that led to his withdrawal from the Super Eagles’ last two World Cup qualifiers.
He added that Finidi was adequately briefed by him and his doctor.
However, veteran sports journalist and former Goal.com editor, Colin Udoh, has explained that Finidi never made the said comments about Osimhen.
Udoh, in an X post, said that Finidi privately told him his side of the story, and exonerated self from any blame
The sports reporting guru further said that an unnamed source, privily to the meeting where Finidi was said to have made the comments about Osimhen, had said former Super Eagles coach never specifically mentioned the Napoli forward.
According to him, Finidi had said Osimhen should have reached out to him first to find out if he did say what was alleged to have said rather than go public to display such disrespect.
