Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has been at the centre of the storm.

On Wednesday, he all but found his redemption. He gave a perfect response to a “disparaging” video posted on the Italian side’s TikTok account mocking him after he missed a penalty against Bologna, by scoring the second goal in a Serie A match against Udinese.

The goal, which was Napoli’s second on the night, apart from ending the Nigerian forward’s four-game goal drought, also went a long way to silencing his critics, especially fans of the club who had been on his neck over his goaless run in the league.

However, Osimhen’s decision not to celebrate his strike was also his own way of making his stance known on the ongoing feud with the Italian champions and their social media handlers who many feel went overboard with the video.

The video posted on Napoli’s official TikTok account was ill-advised in the first instance, as it disrespected the 24-year-old striker who played a pivotal role in the club’s first Serie A title in 33 years with 26 goals, winning the Scudetto goalscorer award in the process.

The video, which Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, tagged “stupid”, had shown the player asking to be allowed to take the now controversial penalty, but using a strange sped-up voice with the caption ‘Gimme penalty please’ before he blazed the spot-kick wide of the post.

A second video, which compared Osimhen to a “coconut head”, had also drawn widespread criticism directed at the club, with many saying it had a racist undertone.

On Tuesday, Calenda had threatened to take legal action against the Italian club as a result of the video which he said was disrespectful to his star player.

“We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor,” Calenda wrote on his X account.

“What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.

“A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news,” he said.

Before the vexatious video, Osimhen had had a fallout with coach Rudi Garcia after he showed his disappointment following his substitution in the match shortly after missing the penalty.

The Lagos-born striker had registered his displeasure by angrily challenging Garcia for the substitution.

The outburst was, however, blown out of proportion by the Italian media as many sports journalists called for his sanction, while others told Napoli in clear terms to part ways with the player in the coming January transfer window.

But Italian sports paper, Gazzeta dello Sport was to later report that Osimhen had tendered an apology to Garcia and teammates after his outburst following the substitution.

“Osimhen has apologised to Garcia and his teammates after his outburst at his substitution,” the Italian sports journal wrote.

“Osimhen, it has to be said, was unsuccessful in the match, hitting the upright and missing a penalty. It was also the Nigerian’s 4th game without scoring a goal.

“The player, under particular scrutiny, was replaced by his coach a few minutes from the end of the match (86th).

“Osimhen, no doubt frustrated, was seen explaining to Garcia that it was necessary to play with two center-forwards, rather than having him replaced by Simeone.

“In the locker room on Sunday evening and at Castel Volturno this morning, Victor Osimhen apologized to the coach and his teammates for his outburst on the pitch in Bologna, when at the end he burst out at Rudi Garcia by not accepting the substitution and “explaining” to his coach that he would have had to leave him on the pitch by deploying the second central striker, Giovanni Simeone.”

But on Wednesday, the Nigerian star proved his worth on the field with his 39th-minute strike which doubled Napoli’s lead against Udinese.

As fickle as football fans go, the Napoli faithful that had thronged the stands at the Diego Maradona Stadium were back in their element as they sang Osimhen’s name and rented the air with raucous cheers.

In the end, the “Lagos Lion” not only gave the perfect response on the pitch, but also put a higher prize tag on himself!