The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to take disciplinary action against Super Eagles' first-choice striker, Victor Osimhen, in the coming days. This decision comes after Osimhen's verbal attack on the former coach of the senior national team, Finidi George.
Finidi George was the coach of the Super Eagles until Friday, June 14, 2024, when he tendered his resignation letter. This resignation followed the announcement by the NFF that they would be appointing an expatriate coach. Osimhen, the Napoli forward, reacted angrily to reports that Finidi had questioned his commitment to the team.
The striker went on to criticize the coach for the reasons behind his absence from the team's World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic, which resulted in a 1-1 draw and a 1-2 loss, respectively, dropping the Super Eagles to 5th in their group, four points behind leader Rwanda.
The NFF has now decided to charge Osimhen for his improper conduct and verbal attack on the former coach, Finidi George. The federation will be initiating disciplinary proceedings against the striker in the coming days.
“Already the president of the NFF Ibrahim Muse Guseu, has spoken with Osimhen over his outburst and Finidi also reached out to him. The report he reacted to is fake and misleading. Sadly he didn’t confirm before reacting,” a board member of the NFF told Owngoal Nigeria.com.
“Osimhen is a role model and the only way we can help the incoming coach stamp his authority is by using him to set example. He crossed the line with his outburst even when Finidi called him to explain he still didn’t deem it fit to retract his statements.
“We won’t condone that and after the Salah break, we will sit on the issue. I can tell you he won’t be in the team until he says sorry for his actions,” he concluded.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and challenges within the Nigerian national team setup, as the NFF navigates the transition to a new coaching regime.
The outcome of the disciplinary proceedings against Osimhen will be closely watched, as it could have significant implications for the player's future with the Super Eagles.
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