Super Eagles and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has recounted the painful experience he endured during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing how he was unable to return to Nigeria as his father’s health deteriorated due to complications surrounding transfer negotiations.
In an emotional essay titled “A Prayer from the Gutter” published by The Players’ Tribune, Osimhen detailed how he was stranded in France shortly after completing his move from Wolfsburg to Lille when the global lockdown began.
According to the striker, his father had been battling declining health at the time, and matters worsened when he was admitted to the hospital during the early stages of the pandemic.
“When I moved from Wolfsburg to Lille, his health started failing. I was away all the time. Then during the beginning of COVID, he went into the hospital. I was stuck in France, all alone,” Osimhen wrote.
With airports and football activities suspended worldwide, the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner said he made frantic efforts to secure a private flight home. Although he obtained clearance from aviation authorities to land in Nigeria, he said he needed approval from his club and agent — which did not come in time.
Osimhen revealed that ongoing transfer discussions complicated the situation, making him confront what he described as the “dark side of football.”
“They wanted to sell me. They were discussing a transfer. My former agent kept telling me, ‘It’s complicated. Just wait.’ I was going crazy. I couldn’t sleep,” he stated.
The devastating news of his father’s passing reached him while he was alone in France. He recalled missing numerous calls from his family while in the shower, only to learn moments later that his father was gone.
“I had 20 missed calls. My brother said, ‘He’s gone.’ Then he turned the camera and showed me my father. ‘You should say goodbye.’”
The 25-year-old forward described the emotional breakdown that followed, admitting he destroyed property in his apartment and struggled to cope with the overwhelming grief. He credited a neighbour for staying with him for hours and preventing him from making a regrettable decision.
Osimhen said the guilt of not being physically present during his father’s final moments remains one of the most painful aspects of the ordeal.
“All my father’s children and grandchildren were around him. The only one who wasn’t there was me. I was furious. I thought, ‘If football is like this, what’s the point?’”
The trauma, he disclosed, nearly pushed him to abandon football altogether.
“When I asked to go for the funeral, I was told to be back by Friday. I said, ‘To hell with football.’ When I returned home, I truly thought I might never play again. I was disgusted with everything.”
Osimhen’s revelations provide a rare glimpse into the personal struggles behind elite professional football, highlighting the emotional toll that the business side of the sport can impose on players beyond the pitch.
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