Foreign newspaper contradicts Super Eagles star’s claims
Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has denied media reports, which quoted him as saying that he hopes to make history with the Italian club like South American legends Diego Maradona, Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani did at the club.
Osimhen, who featured for only 45 minutes for the Super Eagles at Egypt 2019 AFCON (the third place match against Tunisia), joined Napoli on a five-year contract with an option of an additional year in an African record €81m deal including bonuses.
A national newspaper in Nigeria (not The Guardian) at the weekend, quoted Osimhen as saying that he hopes to make history with Napoli like Maradona, Higuain and Cavani. But the striker denied ever talking with any journalist yesterday.
“I never said such a thing, Osimhen stated on his twitter handle yesterday. “y’all copy paste journalist just like to fabricate lies. Since the passing of my late father, I haven’t granted any interview whatsoever. Stop this nonsense else na thunder go fire una.”
Maradona inspired Napoli to two Italian championships in the 1986/87 and 1989/90 seasons, while Higuain and Cavani etched their names in the folklore of Napoli with their goal scoring heroics.
Quoting his earlier interview with Sport1, the newspaper wrote that Osimhen said: “I am proud to join a club, who have seen great players like Maradona, Higuain and Cavani.”
“I also want to go into the club’s history.
“I want to have a good Serie A and also help the club in the Europa League.”
Osimhen said he has not spoken to any newspaper since his father’s demise, but the Sport1 story written in German language actually quote the new Napoli star as if the authors spoke with him.
According to the newspaper report, the Nigeria international is currently house-hunting in Naples ahead of the forthcoming Serie A season. He is due to officially join the team in September.
