Ignore CAF\u2019s controversial 30-man shortlist that excluded the Napoli striker from among Africa\u2019s best players: Victor Osimhen is one of the continent\u2019s finest strikers at the moment.<\/p>\n
The young man\u2019s name often features prominently in the list of footballers linked with some of the wealthiest clubs in the world.<\/p>\n
Osimhen is also the most expensive African star on the planet, with the deal that took him from Lille to Napoli costing the Neapolitans a record \u20ac81 million (including performance-related bonuses).<\/p>\n
Two years after that deal was signed and sealed, though, it continues to raise some questions at home and abroad \u2013 first on his status as a truly global footballer and secondly, having enough character to own the tag.<\/p>\n
The ugly mess abroad
\nOsimhen\u2019s move to Napoli has been under police scrutiny since details of the transaction made it to the public eye.<\/p>\n
Police are investigating allegations of connivance between Napoli and Lille to inflate the transfer fee for Osimhen. The Italian giants and the former French champions have had their various head offices raided.<\/p>\n
The Italian Football Association even dragged Napoli to court regarding the issue earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Still, the Neapolitans and Lille maintain that they have not committed any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
In all of this, Osimhen has not been accused of any offense.<\/p>\n
The turbulent storm on the home front
\nBack in Nigeria, though, another fallout from that Napoli dealings is threatening to pull the Osimhen family apart and drag Victor into a court dispute.<\/p>\n
Osita Okolo, Osimhen\u2019s brother-in-law, is raising dust that the former Lille lad cheated him out of his dues from Osimhen\u2019s switch to Italy.<\/p>\n
Urged by his elder sister Esther, Osimhen appointed Esther\u2019s husband, Osita, as his manager. The Napoli deal was in the pipeline at the time, and Osimhen had sensationally replaced his long-time agent Jean-G\u00e9rard Benoit Czajka with Italian broker William D\u2019Avilla of DW Sports.<\/p>\n
Osita claims an agreement was in place to receive as his own dues a certain percentage of D\u2019Avilla\u2019s commission.<\/p>\n
He admits to receiving an initial installment payment of 450,000 dollars and another 91,000 euros.<\/p>\n
The relationship between Osimhen and his brother-in-law, however, broke down shortly after.<\/p>\n
And Osimhen allegedly tricked Osita into releasing the money ($450k and \u20ac90k) in his possession and, after that, vowed not to pay him a dime.<\/p>\n
Osita and his wife Esther (Osimhen\u2019s sister) have been distraught by the development.<\/p>\n
When elders in the Osimhen family reportedly failed in their efforts to resolve the family dispute, the estranged couple sued Osimhen in court.<\/p>\n
Busy at work terrorising defenders in Italy, Osimhen reportedly did not honour any of the Ikeja High Court summonses.<\/p>\n
The public spat
\nWith the case making no meaningful headway in court, Osita and his wife took the high road.<\/p>\n
The couple reached out to popular media personality Daddy Freeze and laid their grievances bare to the public.<\/p>\n
Osita accused Osimhen of refusing to take care of his (Osimhen\u2019s) family when apparently money is no longer his problem.<\/p>\n
In the chat that has since gone viral, Osita lamented: \u201cThe money was paid into my company account, but my greatest mistake was to give it to him (Osimhen) when he asked for it with the promise he would pay back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked with him with my open mind, not knowing he had a sinister plan against me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the greatest mistake I made in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Esther Okolo, with tears, added: \u201cI don\u2019t want a problem; all I want is that Victor should give my husband his money because I know my husband worked for money.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvidence dey (translated: there is evidence), but my family doesn\u2019t want to see the truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is fighting for his right; he should give my husband what belongs to him.\u201d
\nOsimhen\u2019s response<\/p>\n
The Okolo couple hoped that their interview with Daddy Freeze would provoke a response from Osimhen.<\/p>\n
But the 23-year-old is yet to give his side of the story.<\/p>\n
Osimhen\u2019s issues with agents
\nOsimhen\u2019s disagreement with Osita Okolo is not the first time the former Wolfsburg signing would disengage an agent under financial clouds.<\/p>\n
His first agent Jean-G\u00e9rard Benoit Czajka also took Osimhen to court after the youngster replaced the broker with William D\u2019Avilla shortly before the move to Napoli was completed.<\/p>\n
Benoit Czajka had been with Osimhen long before he helped Nigeria win the 2015 FIFA u-17 World Cup.<\/p>\n
But the Spaniard was sacked \u2018without cause\u2019, and he duly took the matter to court. Benoit Czajka was later compensated out of court.<\/p>\n
Osimhen has since dismissed Benoit Czajka\u2019s replacements, William D\u2019Avilla and Osita Okolo.<\/p>\n
Roberto Calenda is now the Nigerian striker\u2019s representative, his fourth agent in less than three years.<\/p>\n
Osimhen sure likes flipping agents.<\/p>\n
Dark clouds over a blossoming career
\nOsimhen is destined for a great career. The 23-year-old will one day play for one of the biggest clubs in the English Premier League.<\/p>\n
It is, however, important that the youngster, as he heads to the top, remembers to take care of family members and the people who handle his business.<\/p>\n
Providence has been kind to him, and many of his relatives will look to him to help drag them out of poverty. He cannot help everyone, yes, but family is sacrilege.<\/p>\n
And so is an agent\u2019s commission.<\/p>\n
Avoiding that pitfall will let Osimhen concentrate on the one thing that can take him farther than any Nigerian before him \u2013 scoring loads of goals for Europe\u2019s best clubs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The best is yet to come from the Nigeria international, but looming darkness of attitude is threatening to cast a shadow on his flourishing career<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":12828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,4],"tags":[7,14,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-12831","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-sports","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n