Mikel Obi defends Osimhen’s outburst over Finidi George comments

Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has shared his thoughts on Victor Osimhen’s online outburst aimed at former Super Eagles assistant coach Finidi George.

In a recent episode of the Obione Podcast, Mikel expressed empathy for the Napoli striker, understanding his frustration over the situation.

The incident began after reports falsely claimed that Finidi George had blamed Nigeria’s loss to Benin Republic on Osimhen’s absence and stated that he wouldn’t beg any player to join the team.

Reacting to these claims, Osimhen went live on social media in a heated 10-minute session, expressing disappointment and stating that he had lost respect for George.

“You can talk nonsense. I have lost the respect I had for that man [Finidi], I swear to God I’ve lost it now because why? I called him, told him to allow me to come to the camp to be with the boys. I have all these recorded, to come talk to the boys,” Osimhen said during the live session.

Mikel acknowledged that while Osimhen’s reaction might not have been ideal, he understood why the forward felt the need to defend himself. The former captain praised Osimhen’s humility but highlighted the importance of mutual respect.

“Every time I speak to him, he’s very humble, respects people. As I said, respect is reciprocal. I respect you, you respect me. I think this situation with the Nigerian coach, where he blew out, he just felt it wasn’t fair because the manager didn’t protect him. He said he had a conversation with the manager, everything was recorded, and the manager just threw him under the bus. He was really pissed off, so he came out to defend himself. Maybe the way he did it wasn’t the best, but he had the right to speak out. I have nothing against Victor [Osimhen] for that, and knowing your worth isn’t arrogance,” Mikel remarked.

Although Osimhen hasn’t publicly apologised for the incident, he continues to make Nigerian fans proud, recently scoring in Nigeria’s 3-0 victory over Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.