Former Nigerian international Osaze Odemwingie has warned Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to curb his frequent on-field altercations, stating that such behavior happens more often than it should and invites opponents to provoke him.

In a chat with Brila FM, he warned that smart opponents and defenders will try to use this visible frustration to provoke him.

Behavior Concerns

He made this known on the backdrop of Osimhen’s heated confrontation with Villarreal defender Santiago Mouriño during their pre-season friendly at RAMS Park.

Read Also:WAFCON 2026: Nigeria’s Akintoye To Officiate Algeria Vs Malawi Semi-Final

The Nigeria international clashed with the Uruguay defender during Galatasaray’s 2-1 defeat to Villarreal at the weekend.

Osimhen was reportedly frustrated after Mouriño used his body to prevent him from advancing into a dangerous position inside the penalty area.

However,  he stressed that Osimhen needs to manage his emotions better, stay humble, and avoid giving referees or opponents an easy reason to target him.

Need for Humility

‎’As somebody who has been on the pitch; somebody with experience, I understand that reaction.
‎
‎’Sometimes we get provoked, and especially in friendly games, it annoys more because it’s a friendly game,’ Odemwingie said on Brila FM’s breakfast show ‘No Holds Barred’.
‎
‘I don’t back this behaviour because my first feeling was, “Not again”. I’ve seen it quite a bit. It’s happening a bit more often than it should. I think Osimhen needs to understand that he’s a threat.Games

‎’Defenders are scared of him and they will try to upset him and get under his skin.

Read Also:2026 WWC Playoffs: Dhlamini Urges Banyana To Fight For Victory Against Super Falcons
‎
‎’He needs to deal with this and be humble. He’s becoming a big name in football and this will naturally get into his head, but, he needs to find a way to be more humble.
‎
‎’Before you jump to conclusions, you have to look a little bit more into it. There may have been something said before that incident, so we can only speculate for now.
‎
‎’If you ask Victor why he reacted that way, he might tell you that the player said something. But for now, we can only speculate and think about what was going on in his mind.’