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Serie A champions Napoli were slammed by Nigerians last week for not celebrating Victor Osimhen's efforts with Nigeria at AFCON 2023.
Napoli finally congratulated striker Victor Osimhen on Nigeria's qualification to the AFCON 2023 final, eliciting scathing reactions from Nigerians online.
Pulse Sports can report that Napoli’s wishes came 24 hours after Nigeria's dramatic semifinal win over South Africa and days after the club was dragged on social media by Super Eagles fans.
Napoli and Osimhen
As reported by Pulse Sporrts Nigeria, the Serie A champions were criticised on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) because they had refused to acknowledge the performance of their star striker Osimhen in Cote d’Ivoire.
The 25-year-old has played a crucial role in Nigeria’s impressive journey to the final at the 34th AFCON.
Many clubs have been consistent with messages to their players, including the domestic leagues in Europe led by the English Premier League and Ligue 1 adding their voices to support their players in the competition.
But there was a particular hollow silence from Italian champions Napoli, leading to a backlash from Nigerians.
Napoli post Osimhen
Days after the viral posts, Napoli have finally posted on social media praising Osimhen's performances at AFCON following the penalty shootout win against South Africa.
“Congratulations to @victorosimhen9 and @NGSuperEagles on reaching the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations! “the club posted.
But Nigerian fans have now reacted to the club's message, with many of them believing it was too late and posting dismissive messages while accusing Napoli of not valuing their star forward.
Having snubbed Osimhen after previous AFCON games, Napoli's delayed congrats was seen as disrespectful, especially as Osimhen has led Nigeria's charge amid injury worries.
The Nigerian supporters believe he deserves more timely recognition from his Serie A employers.
Here are some of the reactions from Nigerians to Napoli’s message on X.com
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The fallout highlights how Napoli's perceived indifference has damaged their reputation in Nigeria amid Osimhen's AFCON exploits.
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