SUPER Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has shared emotional details about the harsh realities that shaped his childhood, revealing how extreme poverty and difficult living conditions in Lagos fueled his determination to succeed.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the 27-year-old forward, speaking in an interview with The Players’ Tribune, recalled growing up in Olusosun, a densely populated slum in Lagos, where survival was a daily struggle for his family.
Osimhen said life became especially difficult after the death of his mother, a tragedy that plunged the household deeper into hardship. His father, who had worked as a driver, reportedly lost his job following her passing and was forced to take up menial work washing dishes in a police department kitchen for a small income.
According to the striker, the earnings were insufficient to cater to the needs of their seven-member household, which lived in a single-room apartment.
“I remember one night when I was about 12, the landlord had enough. He cut off the power to our apartment. We were sitting in the dark in one room, all seven of us, no TV, nothing. I went outside and sat next to a gutter and started crying,” Osimhen recounted.
The situation worsened when their landlord removed part of the roof of their home under the guise of carrying out repairs.
“Our house barely had a roof. It was starting to cave in, and so the landlord said, ‘OK, I will fix it. Do not worry.’ He sent some guys over, and they took half the roof off and never came back,” he said.
Osimhen explained that many families in the neighborhood survived by collecting and reselling scraps from the nearby landfill. As a young boy, he also took on small jobs to support his family.
“Everything I earned, I gave to my siblings to buy food and pay the rent. Most nights, I actually slept in the church,” he revealed.
Over the years, Osimhen has often spoken about how growing up in poverty shaped his resilience, hunger, and competitive spirit qualities now visible in his professional career.
Currently one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, Osimhen has built a reputation for relentless pressing, high intensity, and an uncompromising desire to win.
During Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations, his passion was evident when he showed visible frustration after feeling a pass had been denied. He exchanged words with teammates and walked toward the tunnel after being substituted, a reaction the coaching staff later described as driven by competitive intensity.
Osimhen also recently admitted feeling humiliated over a social media post that mocked a penalty miss during his time at SSC Napoli, an incident that sparked widespread debate at the time.
From sleeping in church buildings to starring on the biggest stages in African and European football, Osimhen’s journey stands as a testament to resilience forged in hardship.