Finidi George breaks silence on social media rant with Victor Osimhen

2 weeks ago 21

Victor Osimhen took to social media to criticise Finidi George following Nigeria’s defeat to the Republic of Benin
The rant followed a report of Finidi using the Galatasaray star’s name as an excuse for the defeat suffered by his side
The 53-year-old has spoken for the first time following the unsavoury social media rant from the 2023 CAF Player of the Year

The Nigerian football scene was set alight when Victor Osimhen publicly criticised former Super Eagles manager, Finidi George, following Nigeria's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Benin.

The Super Eagles struggled in their pursuit of a first win in the qualification campaign, falling to a well-organized Cheetahs side in Abidjan.

In what was only Finidi's second match as Nigeria’s head coach, the crucial fixture ended in defeat, with goals from Steve Mounié and Jodel Dossou securing victory for Gernot Rohr’s team.

Finidi George during the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic

In the aftermath, a report from Score Nigeria detailed that during discussions with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Finidi pointed to the reluctance of Osimhen and a few other players to feature in the match as a key factor in the loss.

Osimhen responded swiftly, taking to social media to criticise the veteran coach for his remarks.

Months have passed since the controversy first unfolded, and with tensions having cooled, Finidi has now spoken publicly about the incident for the first time.

Finidi speaks on Osimhen’s outburst

In an interview with Nigeria Info, as reported by the Daily Post, the Rivers United manager addressed the situation, saying:

"I sent him a message, letting him know it wasn’t the best way to handle things. Someone told him the coach said something, and he reacted as if I had spoken about him in an interview.""After that, I didn’t hear from him. I moved on and wish everyone well—only God will judge."

When asked about calls for Osimhen to be banned from the Super Eagles, Finidi declined to comment.

"I don’t know. He’s part of the team now, so let him be," he added. "We can’t crucify him. He made a mistake, but we’ve moved on, and life goes on."