Former Nigeria international Emmanuel Emenike has said Super Eagles star striker Victor Osimhen needs more protection from referees and also his coaches and teammates.
Emenike made the call after Osimhen had to be replaced late in Sunday’s 2023 AFCON qualifier with Sierra Leone.
The Napoli star bagged a brace in the 3-2 win against the Leone Stars but was subjected to rough treatments from the opposing players.
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Emenike, a member of the Super Eagles 2013 AFCON winning squad called for more protection for the Serie A title winner.
“Osimhen needs to be protected more by his teammates, the coaches, and even the referee,” Emenike told Brila FM.
Osimhen became the first African to finish top scorer in Serie A after bagging 26 goals.
He is the top scorer in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers with seven goals.
7 Comments
Very true!But this referee in the Sierra Leone game was from Sudan. Possibly he mistook football for war, and kept the cards in his pocket We all saw how defenders kept hacking Osimhen down in Italy.
What you said is true, when Nigeria is playing ball with other countries the refree would make sure they blow again Nigeria, even in pass u20 w/cup they’re just completed.
You can’t blame Osimhen from trying to give his all for his country.
Sometimes I am almost ashamed to call myself African,is as if we like a mediocre standard of performance to prove we are Africans.
Why are my saying this? Some decades ago FIFA made it priority to eliminate hard tacles in football, just the way they now issue heavy penalty for diving.
Now the best way to tackle the menace of hard tackles is to issue penalty for it, in terms of yellow cards and red cards.
But the average African referee will never do that,they have a believe that hard tackle is a symbol of African football, and CAF is complicit in this wrong believe that has held African football in primitive age compared to the west’s.
You can never get hard on C.Ronaldo, or Kylian Mbappe in European qualifiers the what they just did to Osimhen without collecting cards.
It is the primary responsibility of African coaches to protect not just Osimhen but all our African stars from obvious malicious tackles
I mean,it is the responsibility of African referees to protect African stars from malicious tacles
Please my brother do not make mockery of nations in war, war is not beautifull and it is not limited to sudan alone, osimen have to be carefull in some of these africa games because some of the opponents are not full Professionals and they have nothing at stake if they get penalise, iwobi also noticed these artitude from these little teams, the guy have to call refery attention when he noticed they where tackling intentionaly to injure our players, thats because they lack confidents, osimen should be more carefull with these guys, because it will be bad if he always get injured in eagles games hiś club will always find ways to block his attendance in the future games
That is what I expect from ex international’s. I have greatest respect for you Emenike in your days you were so bold taking on defenders without sideways back pass. You have done well for this advice of yours. I DOFF MY heart. INCREASE THE VOLUME
I have said it time without number and I’m saying it again that Referees are the major enemies of Africa football.
The day Africa referees develop zero tolerance for hard tackles is the day Africa football will begin to develop.
The major reason Africa countries don’t go far in world cup is just because Africa believe in rough football and always physical. The west are analytical and use their sense while Africa countries believe in the physical strength that can’t take them far.
Africa referees need to get sense.