Former Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has revealed that Victor Osimhen has yet to apologize for a public social media outburst that was widely seen as disrespectful.
The incident occurred after Osimhen took to Instagram Live to refute claims that Finidi accused him of faking an injury to skip the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
The Napoli star’s online rant quickly gained traction, leading to a wave of criticism from fans and sports personalities alike, many of whom called on him to apologize to the former Nigeria international.
Speaking on Nigeria Info FM, Finidi, who now manages Nigeria Premier Football League club Rivers United, shared that he had tried to address the issue directly with Osimhen.
“I sent him a message that it was not the best way, just someone telling you that coach said that, and you’re talking about me like I said it in an interview,” Finidi explained during the interview.
Despite his efforts to reach out, Finidi noted that he received no response from Osimhen, opting to put the matter behind him.
“From that point, I didn’t hear from him. I moved on, and I wish everybody well. Only God will judge,” he said.
The Rivers United coach also pointed out that certain officials may have exacerbated the situation by feeding misinformation to Osimhen in order to distract from Nigeria’s poor qualifying performances.
“One of the officials called him and sent him a message because they wanted to save their head and deviate the issue on the ground (the poor qualifying results),” Finidi added. “They used him because they wanted to save their head and use Finidi George to deviate the whole issue,” he added.
Despite the fallout, Finidi expressed his admiration for Osimhen, stating that he has long been a supporter of the player, stating, “Osimhen is someone I like, even before becoming the Super Eagles coach. We know he’s a dedicated player.”
When asked if Osimhen should have faced disciplinary action or a potential ban from the Super Eagles for his behavior, Finidi responded with a forgiving tone. “I don’t know. He is there already, let him be. We cannot crucify him, he has made a mistake, we have moved on, and life goes on.”
Finidi’s comments reflect his willingness to let go of the past while also maintaining his principles regarding respect and professionalism within the national team.
