•How Victor Osimhen started as a street hawker
There is no gainsaying the fact that Victor Osimhen was the cynosure of all eyes at the last U-17 World Cup held in the South American nation of Chile.
He is a rising football star who has lots of potentials. His exploits in Chile really distinguished him and set him ahead of his peers.
Osimhen’s physically, pace, dribbles and clinical finishing attributes has made him the most sought after Nigerian footballer at the moment. It wasn’t all rosy for him as he also recounted how his mum used to strap him to her back to hawk sachet water (pure water) on the streets of Lagos.
Born on the 29th of December 1998, Victor Osimhen started his football career at a very tender age. He started by playing street soccer, from where he proceeded to playing grassroots football.
Osimhen’s rise to stardom began when he was told that the U-17 camp has been thrown open in Abeokuta, by the Chief Coach Emmanuel Amuneke. He borrowed money and travelled to Abeokuta, when he got there he met many players within the age bracket who have been told to go home just because they couldn’t prove their worth.
Undeterred Victor Osimhen got there and showed the stuff he is made of under 10 minutes. He was drafted into the U-17 Golden Eaglet team that represented Nigeria at the CAF –U17 Championship where they finished 3rd.
Subsequently, he was Golden Eaglet’s top striker at the U-17 FIFA World Cup hosted by Chile. His ten goal scorer record, jointly set by Frenchman Sinama Pongolle in Trinidad & Tobaggo 2001 and Ivorien Souleymane Coulibaly at the 2011 U-17 World Cup in Mexico.
Victor Osimhen’s ten breath-taking goals will be a hard nut to crack for any U-17 player in subsequent edition. For a player whose mother used to strap on her back to sell sachet water on the streets of Lagos, emerging the tournament’s highest goal scorer is a big consolation.
For Pa Osimhen, Victor’s dad he is happy seeing his boy making the family proud. “I can’t go anywhere now without being pointed to as the father of Victor Osimhen. According to him he now walks tall in the midst of friends and family. Pa Osimhen wanted Victor to go to school at all cost, he isn’t a football fan and wouldn’t even watch his boy play until he started making waves for Nigeria is a source of joy for the family of Osimhen.”
Andrew who is a striker himself and plays street soccer in Lagos said he laid the template Victor is following. “I’m a striker myself but the template Victor is following now was laid down by me, today he is a better striker” He said. Victor has got coach. Paul Irikhewe a grass root team coach to thank.
Coach Paul had noticed the talents and skills in Victor, he began to nurture him and also introduced him to organize football. He said he is not surprise Victor is now a superstar. In his words “I saw the raw talent and potentials in Victor, so I kept encouraging him and I think due to hard work, discipline and determination he is doing fantastically well for himself and country today.
For the U-17 and U23 star, Victor Osimhen, inspiration comes from former Chelsea and Ivory Coast International Didier Drogba. “I’m always happy whenever I watch Didier Drogba play. I love his style, pace and dribbling skills” he said. After his heroic performance at the U-17 World Cup, he got invited to the U-23 Eagles that won Laurels at the Africa-U23 Championship hosted by Senegal. According to the U-23 Eagles Coach Samson Siasia, Osimhen is a fantastic player that should be monitored and groomed. “I invited Osimhen to the U-23 Eagles because I know what he is capable of doing” Victor is on the radar of many European Club sides in Europe. He is on the verge of putting pen to paper for one of Wolf spurs. When asked by Journalist how he felt about being wanted by many European club sides, he has this to say.
I’m very happy, from being a sachet water hawker on the street of Lagos to being wanted by various club sides in Europe, I’m just thanking God because he alone deserves all the Glory” He recounted how he hawked sachet water and other things after the death of his mother Mrs. Osimhen. “I was doing all that just to augment the income of our family, yet I still find time to train” Victor is full of praise for Coach Emmanuel Amuneke, for if he didn’t throw the camp open he would probably be wasting away.
-Citypeople magazine
