The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has debunked false reports about banning Super Eagles’ forward Victor Osimhen following his social media outburst against ex-coach Finidi George. NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi clarified that no such process has been initiated and emphasized the federation’s focus on upcoming AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted reports circulating in some online media outlets that Super Eagles’ forward Victor Osimhen has been banned from the national team following his recent social media outburst against former Head Coach Finidi George.
NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, expressed his amazement at these false reports in a statement released on Thursday. He clarified that the federation has neither initiated nor concluded any process to ban the player from representing the national team.
Sanusi said, “The NFF hereby implores the media to join hands with the body to positively resolve issues and focus on the big picture all the time, rather than needlessly escalate certain matters. There was no official communication from the NFF, yet some persons have gone to town to talk about a ban on Osimhen from the National Team. This is not good at all.”
He emphasized that the NFF’s primary focus is to get the Super Eagles back on track for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. “Our focus is to resolve matters around the Super Eagles and be able to look ahead with confidence to the 2025 AFCON qualifiers and the remaining six matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series. This is not the time to spread falsehood and foul the public space the more,” Sanusi added.
The controversy began when Osimhen took to social media to criticize Finidi George a few hours after George resigned from his coaching position. Osimhen accused George of questioning his commitment to the national team, sparking widespread speculation and rumors about potential disciplinary actions.
The NFF's statement aims to quell these rumors and redirect attention to the important task of preparing for upcoming international competitions.
