AFCON 2025
African former Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, has sparked a social media frenzy after revealing a humiliating encounter with an unnamed senior teammate during his early days with the Nigeria national team.
Speaking during a candid livestream with comedian Carter Efe on Saturday, the Galatasaray striker recounted a 2017 incident in Uyo that saw him nearly kicked out of a teammate’s hotel room.
Osimhen, who was then a teenager fresh from his U-17 heroics, had gone to visit Kelechi Iheanacho to collect a pair of football boots the then-Manchester City star had promised him.
“I went to the room to see Kelechi because he told me he had boots for me,” Osimhen told viewers. “But the person he was rooming with, a very big senior player at the time, opened the door and literally chased me away. He told me I had no business being there and practically bounced me out.”
The situation was only salvaged by Iheanacho’s immediate intervention. According to Osimhen, the “Senior Man” was visibly upset by his roommate’s behavior. “Kelechi got very angry. He told the player, ‘No, you can’t do that to him.’ So Iheanacho took my hand and took me inside” Osimhen recalled, praising Iheanacho’s humility.
While fans have spent the last 24 hours speculating on the identity of the “bouncer,” Osimhen pointedly refused to name the individual. “He was a big name in the team then. I won’t mention him, but that moment stayed with me. It showed me who really had my back,” he added.
The 27-year-old forward is currently in Nigeria recovering from a broken arm sustained during Galatasaray’s recent Champions League clash against Liverpool.
