AFCON 2025: I know his character — Ex-Barcelona star defends Osimhen after argument with Lookman

Former Super Eagles star Emmanuel Amuneke has vouched for Victor Osimhen's character, following his on-pitch bust-up, which led to questions about the Galatasaray ace’s attitude. 

Amuneke, 55, coached and gave Osimhen his big break, selecting and then coaching him at the U-17 World Cup with the Golden Eaglets. He knows first-hand Osimhen’s competitive edge, explaining that the 27-year-old was only hungry for success.

The former Barcelona man has called for calm, noting that he understands Osimhen and his character and that a team requires varying qualities to succeed.

“Osimhen is one with a lot of character. It’s only when you come close to him that you can really understand him,” he said, per the Guardian. “It’s not that he is a bad person. He has the character of a person who wants to win. There are always issues within a team.

“We shouldn’t make too much out of it. I was privileged to know Lookman. He’s an open-minded person who likes to relate to people. We need different characters in our team in order to succeed.”

Victor Osimhen's questionable attitude and anger, which led to his reprehensible rant against Finidi George, the Super Eagles coach at the time, were laid bare during the clash against Mozambique.

Despite the team having accrued a three-goal advantage, two of which he scored, Osimhen berated his teammates, Lookman and Bruno Onyeamachi, when they opted to go for goal instead of playing him through for his hat-trick.

Both incidents happened within minutes, and a frustrated Osimhen appeared to have boiled over, engaging in a shouting match with Lookman before being asked to be subbed off.