A former Nigerian international has called for a more balanced attacking approach for the Super Eagles, urging them to end their over-reliance on Victor Osimhen. Etim Esin, the former Nigerian forward, voiced his concerns following recent events involving Osimhen and former Super Eagles coach Finidi George, which have been a hot topic in the Nigerian football community.
Esin expressed his displeasure with the current state of the national team, especially after their poor performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they only managed to secure one point from two matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic. He pointed out that Osimhen missed Finidi's first two official matches as head coach, which resulted in a draw and a defeat. This situation reportedly led Finidi to comment that he would not plead with the reigning African Footballer of the Year to play for the country.
The tension escalated when Osimhen publicly declared his loss of respect for Finidi on Instagram Live. Esin believes this conflict is unacceptable and detrimental to the team.
"Back then, we had multiple goal sources, but now it seems to either come through Osimhen or not at all - that is not acceptable in modern football," Esin stated.
He emphasized the need for a more varied attacking strategy for the Super Eagles, suggesting that Osimhen should be rested in some matches, such as the defeat to Benin Republic, to promote a more balanced team effort.
"If Osimhen doesn't play, we can't score? He should be rested in some games, like against Benin, even if he was fit," Esin added. "Football should involve good link-up plays and goals coming from all corners of the team."
Esin's remarks reflect the growing concerns among Nigerian football fans after the recent disappointing performances, which also saw Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface benched.
As the Super Eagles aim to revive their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and with the NFF searching for a foreign technical adviser, Esin's message serves as a timely reminder for the team's management and coaching staff to address the issue of over-reliance on a single player.
