Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has described the death of his father in 2020 as the most painful moment of his life, revealing he considered quitting football during a turbulent spell in France.
In an interview with The Players’ Tribune, Osimhen recounted how he was stranded at Lille OSC when his father’s health deteriorated at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When I signed for Lille, my father’s health seriously deteriorated,” he said. “Football had stopped, airports were closed. I kept calling my agent nonstop to arrange a private flight to Nigeria.”
Osimhen. Photo Credit: Lille/X
Osimhen said he obtained landing permission but was left waiting for approval from his club and representatives as transfer discussions intensified.
“That’s when I understood the dark side of football the business side. They wanted to sell me. A transfer deal was being discussed and my former agent kept saying, ‘It’s complicated. Wait.’”
The forward described sleepless nights and growing panic before learning of his father’s death through a FaceTime call from his brother.
“He said, ‘We lost him.’ Then he turned the camera toward my father and said, ‘You need to say goodbye.’”
Photo Credit: Imago
Osimhen said neighbours in France supported him through the immediate aftermath, with one staying for several hours during what he called the most devastating day of his life.
“What destroyed me the most was the guilt. All my father’s children and grandchildren were around him. The only one who wasn’t there was me.”
He added: “I thought, ‘If football is like this, what’s the point?’ When I returned home, I truly thought I might never play football again, I was disgusted with everything.”
Photo Credit: Imago
Later in 2020, Osimhen completed a club-record €80m move to Napoli, where he rebuilt his career.
He won Serie A’s Best Young Player award in 2021–22 before finishing as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals the following season, helping Napoli secure their first title in 33 years. He was subsequently named Serie A Best Striker and Footballer of the Year.
Osimhen celebrating winning the Scudetto. Photo Credit: Napoli/X
Osimhen is now the highest-scoring African player in Serie A history and finished eighth at the 2023 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Nigerian to make the top 10.
He was also crowned African Footballer of the Year at the 2023 CAF Awards, the first Nigerian winner since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
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On the international stage, Osimhen won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, represented Nigeria at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and is currently the second-highest goalscorer in the country’s history.
Osimhen with his CAF best player award. Photo Credit: CAF/X
Yet despite the accolades, he says the events of 2020 reshaped his outlook on football and life.
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“For me, family is everything, that moment changed me forever.”
