Osimhen’s ‘relatives’ in Edo accuse him of abandoning his hometown

Two elderly men who claim to be relatives of Victor Osimhen have expressed disappointment over what they describe as the Super Eagles striker’s “neglect” of his ancestral home in Edo.

The men spoke in a now-trending video filmed by a blogger who claimed to have visited the footballer’s hometown in Okhuesan, Esan, in Edo state.

The aged men, identified as Omuyiwa John and Monday Egbe, claimed that the striker has not returned to his roots or offered support to the people he grew up with.

John said they grew up with Osimhen’s father in the same village and attended primary school together.

They alleged that they even helped raise funds for the burial of Victor’s mother, who was from Obiaruku in Delta state.

John expressed shock that despite their contributions to his family, the African Footballer of the Year has not “acknowledged or visited the community”.

“The father is of the same grandfather as me. We are surprised how the boy said he does not know Okhuesan again. Because the father grew up here. All of us grew together here. We attended the same primary school here. The father’s name is Patrick Osimhen,” he said.

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“The father married from the Delta side in Obiaroko.

“Even when Victor Osimhen’s mother died, she was out in a mortuary at Obiaroko. They said that until we come and do everything in marriage, they would bury her because she has given birth to many children for us.

“The father came from Lagos to come and meet us because he has no money, and his wife’s family is making demands. We sold everything and contributed money to take to Obiaroko to bury Victor Osimhen’s mother.”

John added that the community celebrated Osimhen’s rise to fame but was saddened by his apparent detachment from his roots.

“There was nothing we did not do for Victor or his father. When we later heard that the boy is now a footballer, we were happy. The whole community is happy for him,” he said

“He has never stepped foot in the village here. Even when the father died, he was buried in Lagos. We sent messages through our people in Lagos to bring the deceased back home, but the children refused.”

As of now, Osimhen has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Osimhen’s ‘relatives’ in Edo accuse him of abandoning his hometown

Taiwo Awoniyi out of induced coma, begins recovery

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is out of an induced coma and recovering steadily following emergency surgery on an abdominal injury sustained in a frightening collision with the goalpost during Sunday’s clash against Leicester City.

The Nigerian forward underwent a procedure on Monday night, with doctors placing him in a medically induced coma to limit movement and regulate his heart rate. While the injury was not considered life-threatening, the precautionary measure was taken to aid his recovery.

According to Mail Online, the second stage of the procedure was completed on Wednesday, and Awoniyi is now awake and recuperating in hospital, surrounded by family.

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Liverpool eye Ademola Lookman in stunning swap deal

Liverpool are reportedly  considering a sensational swap deal that would see  Nigeria International Ademola Lookman and  his Italian counterpart Federico Chiesa change clubs.

Italian media outlet, Quotidiano Sportivo, claimed  that  Chiesa is likely to leave Liverpool and return to Serie A after a miserable first season at Anfield. Despite picking up a Premier League winners’ medial,  Chiesa barely featured at all – making just five league appearances totalling 41 minutes, all of them from the substitutes bench.

Incidentally, Liverpool are among the clubs who are big fans of Atalanta’s star Lookman, and the report further claimed  that the Reds could consider a swap deal that sees the Nigerian move to Anfield in exchange for cash plus Chiesa.

The African Footballer of the Year is expected  to  leave Atalanta  at the end of the season if the Italian club receives a suitable offer believed to be around €60 million.

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Lookman has been heavily linked with virtually every top team in Europe over the past months.

A return to the Premier League is believed to be the likeliest destination for the 27-year-old, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Newcastle all interested. Barcelona and PSG are also big fans.

Earlier this year, Lookman was crowned African Footballer of the Year and finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or race after a stunning 2024.

He scored a legendary hat trick for Atalanta in the 3-0 Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen last May. He hit 27 goal contributions for the season before taking that brilliant form into the 2024/2025 season.

In the first half of the season he was arguably the best player in Serie A, as Atalanta looked a good bet for the Scudetto.