Victor Osimhen: Finidi Says He Can't Beg Striker to Play for Super Eagles, Causes Stir With Reasons

• Finidi George has spoken out about the challenges he experienced in his first few weeks as the Super Eagles coach
• He stated that he has had little assistance from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and he did not hesitate to criticise the players' devotion
• According to a recent report, Finidi used Victor Osimhen to point out the commitment of Eagles players, spurring heated reactions online

Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has said he can't beg the team's poster boy, Victor Osimhen, to play for the team in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers.

This comes amidst widespread backlash following the Super Eagles' underwhelming performance, which saw the team take fifth place in the six-team table.

Recall that the Super Eagles failed to win any of their first four games against Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Benin in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers.

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Opening up about the upheaval he encountered in his first few weeks in control of the Super Eagles, Finidi stated that he has had little backing from his employers, the NFF, and he has not hesitated to criticise the players' dedication to the national team's mission.

According to SCORENigeria, Finidi used Osimhen to emphasise the importance of the Super Eagles' top players remaining totally dedicated to the team.

Osimhen was unavailable for the two crucial World Cup qualifiers, with an official reason that he was injured and out for four weeks.

Finidi said the Napoli striker could still have managed to play these matches.

The coach will go on to say that it appears that Osimhen chooses the games he plays for Nigeria and he cannot beg him to play for his country," the source said.

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The former Enyimba coach also lamented the team's complete lack of discipline and was extremely upset with how the players arrived at training camp for the key World Cup qualifiers.

He stated that many of these players have the support of some powerful NFF Board members, and that sanctioning them became increasingly difficult because he was repeatedly informed that a player "belonged" to a certain "big man".

Reactions trail Finidi George's statement

Legit.ng gathered the reactions of Nigerians to Finidi's statement against Victor Osimhen across social media platforms. See them below:

mrumanu_elijah:

"Which of the Osimhen? The one that almost killed himself for Nigeria during Afcon or another one?"

tufab:

"Underlying disagreements and beefs. Abeg beg Victor or leave team for us oo. What can u expect from a coach wey dey drag Jersey with player. Dis one go dy jealous well well."

d_alexis_page:

"There are coaches and there are coaches who knows how to handle big players."

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moyo_ad:

"This coach appears to be problematic and quite proud . He doesn’t seem to know how to manage people."

princessccynthia:

"He should manage and play with injury what about Boniface that doesn’t have injury?"

dclean_:

"How did he get this job? NFF need explain to Nigerians."

itz_abi_young_:

"Person say him get injury, u say make him manage play! Will you sort his medical bills if the injury goes worse."

@ImpactMadr45281:

"Osimhen was injured What of the most informed Nigeria striker this season boniface no you carry tall striker play with no intention to play crosses."

Psquare’s 2007 music video about Finidi George trends

Nigeria's chances of playing in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers went lower following the Super Eagles 2-1 defeat to neighbours Benin Republic in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Monday, June 10.

Following the recent defeat to the Benin Republic, Nigerian football lovers have expressed their disappointment at the Super Eagles, with many criticising national coach Finidi George.

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Some netizens dug up an old song, Temptation, by music duo Psquare, which hinted at Finidi's capability.

Source: Legit.ng