Nigeria's Osimhen, Napoli Bury the Hatchet Over Mocking Videos

Nigerian international Victor Osimhen and his Italian Serie A champions Napoli have reached a truce after the striker broke his silence on the controversial video posts on the club's official TikTok account that openly mocked him. The first video derided him for missing a penalty late last month, while the second labeled him a 'coconut', which was viewed as a racial slur.

The incident has sparked outrage among many fans and pundits, who have accused Napoli of disrespecting their own player.

Nigeria's Sports Minister, John Enoh, had said that Nigeria is pursuing diplomatic channels to address the mocking of Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen by his Italian football club Napoli. Enoh expressed his sadness regarding the incident in which Napoli shared a video on TikTok depicting Osimhen missing a penalty, accompanied by a high-pitched voice saying "gimme penalty please." The club deleted the post following a backlash, but Osimhen's agent has threatened legal action.

Minister Enoh emphasised Nigeria's commitment to protecting the welfare and respect of its athletes. Napoli, in response, in a statement said that the video was meant to be "light-hearted and playful" and that they never intended to offend or make fun of Osimhen, whom they consider an asset to the club.

This article originally appeared on allAfrica.

Image via Complete Sports.