how, in the second game, he got
another opportunity and he played
quite well.”
Looking back now, it was an inspired
decision.
“You could see the determination
in him right away. Of course at that
particular time you’re not looking at the
quality of the players in terms of what
they’re going to present. You’re just
looking for intelligence, for decision-
making with and without the ball. I think
these are the key things that I was
mostly emphasising and looking for, and
Victor had them. Most importantly, he
was coachable, and he was hungry.”
Amuneke had identified a diamond
in the rough, and immediately set about
polishing the young striker. After scraping
qualification for the World Cup by
finishing fourth in CAF qualifying,
NIGERIA“we knew we had to work on our players
in terms of our ability to take chances.
“We knew we had good players, but
there were other factors that we had to
bring on board, from the technical point
of view to the tactical aspect of the
game, even from the psychological
aspect of the game. These players had
mostly been picked from academies,
and had not been involved in any kind
of league structure.
“We looked at Victor as a striker and
how we could improve his positioning,
his running, his realisation that there are
times you only need to touch the ball
once, his decision-making in pressing
situations. We had to work on all that,
and thankfully he was able to adapt and
demonstrate at the
World Cup the
quality in him.”
Osimhen
positively exploded
in Chile, scoring
ten goals in seven
matches to claim
the tournament Golden Boot and Silver
Ball. The quality and variety of his
finishing proved a real highlight.Coach...former
Nigeria U17 coach
Emmanuel Amuneke“He wasn’t necessarily the best player in the
team, but because of his drive and determination,
he became one of our most important players”
Osimhen’s former coach Chinedu OgbennaChildhood friend...
Chukwuemeka
Nonso wearing a
Lille shirt, his old
friend’s former club“As you watched him at that World
Cup, you quickly discovered something
about him,” Amuneke explained. “As a
striker,itisnotcommontoseeatall
player like him, and at that age, with
very good coordination in terms of his
running and contact with the ball. Some
tall players are good with their head, but
Victor had the full complement of
qualities you’d want in a striker.”
Despite taking the scenic route
through Wolfsburg and Sporting
Charleroi, and suffering some
misfortune already in his professional
career, Osimhen’s sheer range has
seen him rise to the highest levels
of European football regardless.
When, in his sole season with Lille, he
scored on his Champions League debut
against Chelsea, it marked a special
moment for him: he had supported
the London club growing up, peeping
through holes in the tarp at the local
viewing centre in Olusosun to catch
a glimpse of Didier Drogba in blue.
Now, he is the one they watch back
in his old neighbourhood.
Amuneke has few doubts Osimhen
can reach even higher heights, provided
he keeps the focus that has taken him
this far already.
“Losing his mother at an early age
prepared him for what life is like, it
toughened him up, it gave him focus.
I know he is a player who knows what
he wants, and is very mature for his
age. He is not afraid of challenges.
“People will always have doubts, but
Victor’s belief in himself helped when
he moved to Wolfsburg. Things didn’t
work out the way people were
expecting, and probably a lot of people
might have considered him one of those
players at youth level who doesn’t fulfil
their potential. But he remained calm,
and now he’s with one of the best
teams in Europe.
“If he works hard, remains humble
and keeps the right associates, there
is no limit to the level he can reach.”