“Not again” – Peter Odemwingie on Osimhen preseason altercation

Former Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie has voiced his concern over Victor Osimhen’s conduct in Galatasaray’s preseason friendly defeat Villarreal last weekend, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite delivering an impressive performance and scoring his side’s only goal of the 2-1 defeat, Osimhen has drawn heavy criticism for his conduct, which completely overshadowed the match's outcome.

Villarreal had opened the scoring early through Ayoze Pérez, but Osimhen brought the Turkish champions level in the fifth minute with a superb header. 

However, the major talking point occurred in the 37th minute during a heated clash between the Super Eagles forward and Villarreal defender Santiago Mourino.

As Osimhen attempted to reach a cross, Mourino marshaled him closely. The Super Eagles star reacted angrily, shoving Mourino to the ground while he was also seen shouting at his own teammates before the referee intervened and handed yellow cards to both players.

Georges Mikautadze struck before halftime to secure a 2-1 victory for Villarreal, but Osimhen’s behaviour dominated the post-match headlines.

Odemwingie shares thought on Osimhen’s latest scuffle

This latest outburst continues a concerning pattern for Osimhen, whose hot temperament has sparked on-pitch confrontations on several occasions. One notable moment was a spat with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria's 4-0 win over Madagascar at the 2025 AFCON tournament.

Reacting to the incident, Odemwingie expressed his frustration with the forward's recurring temper.

“I don't back this behavior because my first feeling was ‘Not again.' I’ve seen quite a bit of it. It’s happening a bit more often than it should. Defenders are scared of him, so they will try to upset him and get under his skin”, the ex-Super Eagles star told Brila Media.

Villarreal head coach Íñigo Pérez also condemned the forward's conduct and was of the opinion that the Nigerian star should have been sent off for the incident.

Odemwingie offered a direct word of advice to the Galatasaray forward, urging him to always control himself regardless of provocation.

“He needs to deal with this and be humble. If you ask Victor why he reacted that way, he might tell you that the player said something [to provoke him]”, he concluded.

Osimhen will aim to shift the spotlight back to his performance on the pitch as Galatasaray kick off their Super Lig title defense against Çorum on Friday.