Nigeria’s Sports Minister, John Enoh, has said that Nigeria is pursuing diplomatic channels to address the mocking of Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen by his Italian football club Napoli.
Enoh expressed his sadness regarding the incident in which Napoli shared a video on TikTok depicting Osimhen missing a penalty, accompanied by a high-pitched voice saying “gimme penalty please.” The club deleted the post following a backlash, but Osimhen’s agent has threatened legal action.
Minister Enoh emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the welfare and respect of its athletes. Napoli, in response, in a statement said that the video was meant to be “light-hearted and playful” and that they never intended to offend or make fun of Osimhen, whom they consider an asset to the club.
Osimhen has not yet responded to Napoli’s statement but many across social media platforms still find the official club reaction as disrespectful with some even describing it as racist. The incident has sparked outrage among many fans and pundits, who have accused Napoli of disrespecting their own player.
Napoli has said they never meant to offend Victor Osimhen after the striker’s agent threatened legal action over a video the club posted on Tik Tok, mocking him for missing a penalty.
