Psychologist offers solution to Osimhen’s outburst towards Lookman

From Olarenwaju Agiri, Ibadan

A football psychologist, Kehinde Adeyemi, has defended the emotional outburst of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Mozambique on Monday evening in Fez, describing it as a psychological tool aimed at motivating teammates and unsettling opponents.

Nigeria secured qualification for the quarter-finals after a convincing victory over Mozambique, but Osimhen’s strong emotional display during the encounter sparked criticism among fans and commentators.

Reacting to the development, Adeyemi, an English FA-trained football psychologist and Director of Sports at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, disagreed with those condemning the Galatasaray striker’s conduct.

“As a football psychologist, I have listened to people’s comments and read several social media posts about his outburst during the match. Let me first state that a player with a combination of determination, resilience, brilliance and patriotism like Osimhen cannot be said to be working against his team or teammates,” Adeyemi said.

He explained that the criticism was largely due to the fact that Osimhen was not wearing the captain’s armband during the match, noting that similar behaviour would likely have been accepted if he had been the team captain, especially given Nigeria’s history of conceding late goals in previous AFCON tournaments.

Adeyemi emphasized that managing a player of Osimhen’s emotional intensity is the responsibility of sports psychologists, who can help channel such energy constructively.

“Give me Osimhen and I will manage him very well. It is the duty of a psychologist to help channel his outbursts in a better way, especially when he is not wearing the captain’s band,” he said.

According to Adeyemi, some intelligent players on the field often read the game better than coaches on the sidelines and may express themselves emotionally in a bid to influence the outcome, much like coaches do through instructions and gestures.

He added that most coaches make emotional outbursts at various points during matches to control the game in their favour.

“A dedicated player like Osimhen can be well managed on the field of play, whether he is wearing the captain’s band or not, by a seasoned football psychologist in a way that makes his outbursts constructive rather than destructive,” Adeyemi concluded.