Royal Sporting Charleroi occupy a cherished corner of Victor Osimhen’s story, not merely for providing a platform but for stepping in at the precise moment his career seemed in danger of collapsing, Soccernet.ng reports.
Today he is one of the world’s most coveted strikers, a €100-million footballer linked with Real Madrid, but less than a decade ago, his journey hung by a thread.
After emerging as the brightest star of the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, scoring a tournament-record ten goals, taking the Golden Boot and winning the Silver Ball, Osimhen appeared destined to climb smoothly to the top of European football.
His move to Wolfsburg two years later seemed to confirm the trajectory. Yet Germany proved unforgiving. Sixteen appearances yielded no goals, and by 2018, the once-unstoppable prodigy desperately needed a reset.
Seeking that lifeline, his camp offered him to several Belgian clubs. Two of them, Club Brugge and Zulte Waregem, had the first opportunity to revive his career.
Instead, both turned him away after Osimhen reportedly failed their medical assessments. It was a stark rejection for a 19-year-old who had been on the world stage only months earlier as Nigeria’s most exciting attacking prospect.
Osimhen’s situation might have spiralled further had Charleroi not taken a different view.
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Victor Osimhen: The bold gamble that changed everything for club and player
When Osimhen arrived in Charleroi, he did so limping. Felice Mazzù, the club’s manager at the time, recalled how the medical team saw beyond the immediate concerns.
“Victor arrived at our club limping: he had been rejected by Bruges and Zulte Waregem, injured in the knee he was unable to pass his medical tests,” Felice Mazzù said as per RTBF.
“But our doctor Frédéric Borlée told me: ‘Leave him with me for a few weeks and I’ll get him back in shape.’ In fact, a month later, he was fit. A little later, I brought him up to Beveren… and he scored with a backheel. Victor never left the first team again.”
That moment marked the beginning of one of the most profitable relationships in Sporting Charleroi’s history. Initially signed on loan, Osimhen’s impact was immediate and profound.
By January 2019, the club paid Wolfsburg €3.5 million to make the move permanent. It turned out to be the most astute financial decision they ever made.
Across 36 matches, Osimhen delivered 20 goals and four assists, putting himself back on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs. Lille soon agreed a €23 million deal; Charleroi’s largest-ever transfer income.
For Mazzù, the memories go well beyond numbers.
“In training, he was a monster of power, speed, and willpower,” Felice Mazzù continued.
“Victor devoured everything, chased down every ball, and made all the runs: he always wanted to score. He gave 100%, never holding back. He had this constant thirst for victory, which meant that even in small-sided games, he would complain when he lost.
“On a personal level, he was very receptive and listened to anything that could help him improve: tactically, we worked to help him improve his team play. He was a striker, but not at all selfish. He was sure of himself and what he wanted, but not arrogant in the slightest: just determined because he wanted to succeed.
“Sometimes he would get angry in the locker room… that’s how much he had this burning desire to win and succeed. A true fighter! Of all the strikers I coached at Charleroi, I put him at the top, ahead of Kaveh Rezaei and Jérémy Perbet.”
Osimhen, currently valued at €75 million, became the most expensive signing in Turkish football history this summer after Galatasaray completed his acquisition from Napoli.
