Victor Osimhen has shared a personal story from his early days with the Super Eagles, revealing how Kelechi Iheanacho stepped in to support him after an awkward moment during his first call up in 2017.
The striker, who now plays for Galatasaray, recounted the incident during a Twitch livestream with comedian Carter Efe, reflecting on his introduction to the senior national team setup.
Osimhen explained that he had gone to visit Iheanacho in his hotel room out of respect, eager to meet the established international star at the time. However, things did not go as expected when he arrived.
“When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.
“So, as I got to his room I don’t just want to mention the name, he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room,” Osimhen said.
The forward chose not to reveal the identity of the senior player involved, only noting that the individual was a well known figure in Nigerian football at the time.
According to Osimhen, Iheanacho was not pleased when he found out what had happened and quickly stepped in to make things right.
“Iheanacho showed up and was angry at him, saying, ‘you see that someone came to see me in my room and you are chasing him from my room.’ So Iheanacho took my hand and took me inside,” he added.
The incident occurred during Osimhen’s early days in the national team, long before he rose to become one of Africa’s leading strikers. His recollection highlights the challenges young players can face when breaking into senior squads, as well as the importance of support from more experienced teammates.
