Victor Osimhen has explained why he turned down the chance to score a hat-trick In Napoli’s round 16 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Osimhen scored two goals as Napoli defeated Frankfurt 3-0 to qualify for a first-ever Champions League quarter-final place 5-0 on aggregate.
The Super Eagles striker scored in the two minutes into first half stoppage time and netted his second goal in the 53rd minute.
Piotr Zielinski scored Napoli’s third from the penalty spot in the 64th minute.
Osimhen would have taken the penalty to bag a hat-trick but instead handed the ball over to Zielinski.
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And in a video posted on BT Sport’s YouTube channel, Osimhen said he is unperturbed about who scores as long as Napoli win.
“The penalty Zieliniski asked me if he could take it, of course I’m a team player it doesn’t matter who scores as long as the team achieves success. I know my goals will come with or without penalty.”
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He expressed delight following Napoli’s historic quarter-final qualification.
He added:”It feels good, it feels amazing, it feels good to make history with this win, we want to keep on going like this until the next round we are ready for it.”
Osimhen has scored four goals in five Champions League matches this term.
The 24-year-old is the first player to score for Napoli in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie.
Up next for Napoli is a Serie A fixture against Torino on Sunday, March 19 at the Olimpico di Torino.
17 Comments
Nice one there from the African footballer of the year.
As a good teammates should zielinski have asked that type of favour from osimhen when he knew he was on a hattrick now I just think he is a mugu, the zielinski missed penalty against rangers in the UCL this season o but he still taking them but him just one miss against Liverpool he doesn’t wish to take them again
ABEG who go HELP me with CASH
The thing dey vex me like mad, in the first leg is your leg they won break and you won a penalty Kvaratskhelia missed it today zielinski won it but he played it, even politano had to beg for you to help you play the penalty but you be mugu dey dash something we no be your own, but when they substitute him he was angry, but in reality if he had played the penalty he won’t be angry he is just forming so he can say he is a team player so haaland, Messi , mbappe are individual players abi. Don’t play the next penalty if I won’t cus for you. Our of 16 penalties you only played one and missed sef
Just shut up and go and get laid.
Your post doesn’t even pass the common sense test
At least my post was related to penalties yours was getting laid. Idiotic moron
If you were smart you would know that all I said was because I was angry at him for not fighting to get his hattrick when he was so close to achieving it be your idiotic mind went straight to getting laid
Zeilenski didn’t want him to play it that was why he intentionally asked him and he knows Victor will not say No. Napoli players should do more to support Victor like City players support Haaland!!!!
Yes cause how would you ask him for the penalty when he is on a hattrick, they are using his kindness and lack of confidence against him even politano had to beg zielinski to allow osimhen to take it but he still took it, all this post match interview is because they don’t want the media to take advantage of the situation and cause a division, you even see that he didn’t even stay at the egde of the post or ran to zielinski after he scored and he was angry when he was substituted
God will uplift him he should always be bold and take up the mantle when due!!!
@Mayans, Funny enough i didn’t notice all this drama were going on over who to take the penalty. When Zelinski asked Osimhen if he could take it nor when Politano try to convince Zeilinski to leave it to Osimhen. Is this an assumption or did i miss that scene bcos i was on a phone call that period ?
You missed it, it was for a short period, but osimhen didnt even show the willingness to take it, some people saying he lacks confidence that’s why he didn’t play it but after Liverpool miss he took scored a penalty at the penalty shoot out, that’s when cremonese beat them so between on field penalty and shoot out penalty I don’t know which one has more pressure
osimhen understands what most of us dont understand and that is how to be number one aand still keep your team mates happy. please remember that osimhen didnt score most of his goals by himself he was assisted by other players and if some of these players see him as a greedy player who only cares about scorimg all the goals and taking all the praise then they might just decide to stop passing him the ball.
osimhen might be a great striker and well respected in europe but he is still an african, he faces criticism and other things on a different level from players and fans alike. so he has to be diplomatic about the way he handles things. so wat if he doesnt play penalties , he is doing well without taking them
All osimhen goals this season all 23 of them I went through all Zielinski didn’t give me one assist, only Kvaratskhelia who is now stingy sef, lozano, Mario rui, politano, di Lorenzo, anguissa,Kim min jae and rahmani the center back has given him assists so Zielinski do not give him nothing, striker playing penalty has nothing to do with jealousy if so Ronaldo, Messi and mbappe should be hated by their teammates, at least if not all he should play like half out of 16 penalties they only gave him one, and if you watch that yesterday match you will see Kvaratskhelia was stingy and against Atalanta also he played four shot on target today while osimhen was in a better position but osimhen don’t like complianing
You guys too like wahala, leave VO alone, last time I check he is still the team leading scorer with or without penalty.
My no 9 I just want you to keep up the good work and make Nigeria, Africa and the world proud love you
they have the two italian clubs to contest i order to get to the UEFA Champions league final….and i’m sure it’s doable…they can beat AC MILIAN and weather INTER beat benfica OR benfica beat them…NAPOLI will qaulify for final…