Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen put aside his recent social media storm with his club Napoli and made a significant impact on the field as his team secured a 4-1 victory over Udinese on Wednesday.
Napoli, the defending Serie A champions, entered the match under pressure after enduring a three-game winless streak, which had raised concerns about their new coach, Rudi Garcia.
Osimhen’s missed penalty in their previous game against Bologna, followed by a controversial TikTok video posted by Napoli’s official account, had created a buzz. The video appeared to mock Osimhen, leading the forward to consider legal action against the club.
Despite the off-field distractions, Osimhen put in an excellent performance and ended his four-game goal drought with a well-taken strike in the 39th minute, boosting Napoli to seventh place in the Serie A table.
Napoli found themselves awarded another penalty just 15 minutes into the game when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was fouled inside the box. After a VAR review, the penalty was confirmed, but this time it was Piotr Zielinski who stepped up to convert it, making it 1-0 after 19 minutes.
With their confidence restored, Napoli pressed on, with Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, and Mario Rui all testing Udinese’s goalkeeper, Marco Silvestri.
In the 39th minute, Osimhen seized an opportunity and slotted the ball into the net, marking his fourth goal of the season. Although initially hesitant to celebrate, he was eventually able to embrace his teammates amid cheers from the home crowd.
In the 63rd minute, Osimhen was substituted for Giovanni Simeone, who later found the net, but not before Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian attacker capitalized on a defensive error to score his first goal of the season in the 74th minute.
Although Lazar Samardzic pulled one back for Udinese in the 80th minute, Kvaratskhelia once again played a pivotal role by assisting Simeone, who headed the ball low into the net, sealing a much-needed victory for the champions.
Osimhen’s on-field performance proved that he could put distractions aside and deliver for his team when it mattered most.
