Sports

Former Wolfsburg director, Jorg Schmadtke regrets selling Victor Osimhen

Published

2 weeks ago

May 25, 2023

A former director with Wolfsburg FC of Germany, Jorg Schmadtke has expressed his regrets for approving the sale of Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen following his stellar performance at Italian club, Napoli.

Schmadtke, who is now Liverpool’s new sporting director, in an interview with sports journalists on Wednesday, said he was full of regrets for sanctioning a deal in 2018, which took Osimhen to Belgian club, Sporting Charleroi, and stated emphatically that he made a big mistake by selling the striker who has now grown to be one of the best strikers in the world.

Schmadtke admitted that during his time at Wolfsburg, Osimhen was still a young player who was still developing and should have been given more time.

“It wasn’t a good move, in hindsight. When I came, Osimhen was limping and running in circles. I was told that the strikers we had weren’t good enough,” Schmadtke said.

“The most important lesson is that you have to be patient with some transfers,” he added.

The Super Eagles striker who led Napoli to the Italian title for the first time in 33 years, was sold off after going 16 games without a goal with the German side where he had just begun his professional career.

He was sold to join Charleroi on a season-long loan where he scored 20 goals in all competitions during the 2018/19 campaign which made the Belgian club to activate a £3 million option to sign him.

A year later, Osimhen was farmed to Lille of France in a £19 million deal. Osimhen scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for the Ligue 1 side in all competitions before Napoli snapped him up for a club record fee of €81.3 million.

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Sports

FIFA honours Osimhen after amazing season with Napoli

Published

16 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Following his record-breaking season with Napoli where he scored 26 goals to win the Serie A top scorer award, Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen has been honoured by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

The world football governing body Tuesday presented Osimhen with a customized jersey and soccer ball for his “superb displays for Napoli in the 2022/23 season,” which led to Napoli winning the Scudetto after a 33-year wait, according to an official of FIFA, Gelson Fernandes, in a “special message” to the 24-year-old Nigerian forward.

“Victor Osimhen, you represent at the moment what football can do,” Fernandes wrote in an Instagram post.

“From Lagos to Napoli where people love you, you have suffered, but your love for football and determination have guided you.

“Keep going, keep pushing. Africa needs examples and millions are watching and dreaming.”

Osimhen became the first African to win the highest goal scorer award, while also becoming the first player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic to win both the Capocannoniere and the Scudetto in the same season, a record which has stood for 14 long years.

His horde of honours was also enhanced with a National Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic bestowed on him by former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Sports

Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur zooms into French Open quarter-finals

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Tunisian tennis sensation, Ons Jabeur took a step further in her quest to win the 2023 French Open Grand Slam when she defeated World number 36, Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1 to zoom into the quarter-finals.

Jabeur, ranked number 7 in the world, and who only won her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open last year, has since then been facing a downward slide coupled with injuries which saw her either missing out on some tournaments or crashing out in early rounds.

However, the 28-year-old who became the first ever African woman to reach a Grand Slam final last year, was at her best when she defeated Pera to move to the next stage on Monday night.

Though Jabeur was not at her fluent best and was herself broken three times in the first set and at the start of the second set, she still raced through the final six games, sealing victory in 63 minutes.

“I never thought about something was missing or I didn’t reach all four of them,” the African said after the match.

“Maybe it’s a good thing. It came and hopefully, we’ll set it to all semi-finals and then all finals,” she added.