Osimhen’s Neck Grab? Fans Say: So What!

By: Akinde S. Oluwaseun

Chaos erupted in Istanbul. Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen? He lost his cool. Big time. During Galatasaray’s draw with Beşiktaş, things got ugly. Real ugly.

39th minute. Osimhen goes up for a ball. Gets fouled. Hard. Referee? Waves play on. Nigerian forward snapped. Confronted Emirhan Topçu. Grabbed his neck. Players piled in. Separated them. Just in time.

Now? The internet’s on fire. Some fans furious. “Disgraceful!” they yell. Others? Defending him fiercely. “Provoked!” they insist. “That’s passion!”

One fan on X, Thoysquare, wasn’t having the criticism. “Zlatan punched teammates. Balotelli fought coaches. Suarez bit people! Still played for top clubs. Think attitude’s why no big team wants Osimhen? You’re watching fantasy football, pal.”

Racial slurs? Emmanuel Nnechi suggested it. “Quick to judge the victim reacting to ugly slurs. While spearing the offender?” Ouch.

Escanor had another angle. “Lost his temper ‘cause it’s like the foul that broke his face. Made him wear that mask. Flashbacks. Lost his head.” Makes sense.

Josh listed football’s “bad boys”: “Pepe almost ended Messi! Zidane headbutted Materazzi! Cantona kicked a fan! Hazard booted a ball boy! Suarez bit Ivanovic! Teammates Dyer and Bowyer fought each other! But Osimhen? Suddenly everyone’s wailing.”

David-Leo Alabi called out double standards. “Osimhen’s crime? Playing with raw emotion. Football pretends to be civilized but loves chaos. Fans love passion… till it’s an African showing it. Then it’s ‘terrible attitude’.” He added, “Black striker shouting back? They see ‘temper’. European? ‘Competitive spirit’.”

Lamemzy and Vikel piled on. “Ramos. Costa. Casemiro. Atletico players. Suarez bit someone! Zidane headbutted!” Vikel wrote. “Common! Top players did worse. Still celebrated. Just wanna tarnish a talented Black guy’s image. Worked hard to get here.”

Not buying it? Galatasaray’s perfect start? Gone. Seven wins. Ended by this draw. The brawl? Just part of the story.