Victor Boniface ran to him with the intent of giving the Galatasaray man encouragement and hope. But Osimhen was inconsolable. Much as Bonifae tried to get close to him, Osimhen shoved him away without looking at his international teammate. Boniface tried it twice and twice Osimhen rebuffed him.
Now the Super Eagles star, who scored Nigeria’s lone goal against Zimbabwe has opened up on his behaviour against Boniface. In a statement made available to the media, Osimhen said, “I can’t lie, I was frustrated. That match against Zimbabwe? We should have won it. We had the lead, we controlled the game, and then just like that, we let it slip.”
He continued, “When I scored, I felt relief. I thought, “Yes, this is it. We’re taking the three points home.”
But football can be cruel. A last-minute equalizer, just seconds away from victory, shattered everything. The whistle blew, and Osimhen just couldn’t hold back his emotions.
“Boniface tried to calm me down, but at that moment, I didn’t want to hear anything. I walked away, not out of disrespect, but because I was hurting. I give my all every time I step on that pitch, not just for myself, but for my team, for Nigeria, for the fans who believe in us.
We needed that win. We needed those points. Now, we have to fight even harder to qualify for the World Cup. It’s not over, but we can’t keep making the same mistakes. I just want us to be better, to do better, because Nigeria deserves nothing less.”
