Osimhen overcame adversity.

Orphaned at a young age, having sold drinks amidst traffic and slept in churches, Victor Osimhen emerged from the Olusosun slum to become one of the world's leading strikers.

ZNews•19/02/2026

Victor Osimhen's story goes far beyond simply "changing his life." For many world- class strikers, the path to the top seems to be laid out very early. But for Osimhen, that journey was a series of struggles against adversity, with darkness enveloping almost his entire childhood.

A difficult childhood

At 27, the Nigerian striker is earning around £250,000 a week at Galatasaray. That figure, for the young Osimhen, was unimaginable. He grew up in Olusosun, a slum in Lagos next to Africa's largest landfill.

Seven siblings crowded into a small room. Tragedy struck early in their lives when their mother died while he was still a child. His father, a driver, lost his job and had to wash dishes in a police station kitchen to make ends meet.

With insufficient money to pay rent, Osimhen had to scavenge for soccer shoes in the garbage dump near his house. He recounted that when he was 12, his entire family lost their electricity because they couldn't afford the rent. "We sat in the dark, all seven of us in the room, no TV, nothing. I went outside, sat by the drain and cried. I looked up at the sky and asked, 'Why does a child have to live like this?'" he recalled.

The place where Osimhem once lived.

At one point, Osimhen was forced to put football on hold to help support his family. He sold drinks at street corners, did odd jobs for a famous pastor, and even took on dangerous work like climbing down wells.

He once participated in a television program and won the equivalent of 5 pounds – the largest sum of money he had ever held at the time. "When I had money, I worked. I gave it all to my siblings to buy food and pay rent. Many nights I slept in the church because the roof was about to collapse," Osimhen recounted.

After a period of putting his passion aside to make a living, football gradually returned to Osimhen when he played for the local church team. His talent was still there, but the door to a professional career didn't open immediately. In his first trial with the Nigerian U17 team, he failed to impress and quietly cried all the way home.

However, the failure didn't discourage Osimhen. A friend from the neighborhood lent him his car to drive him the nine-hour journey to the next tryout, and he decided to try his luck again. Among hundreds of applicants, Osimhen scored two goals in just 15 short minutes, creating a turning point in his career.

Initially, he was overlooked until the team doctor reminded the coach that the boy trudging to the car was the one who had scored the brace. "If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have become a player," Osimhen admitted.

A turning point in my life.

In 2015, he exploded onto the scene with 10 goals in 7 matches, helping Nigeria win the U17 World Cup. The prize money of several thousand pounds was enough to change his family's life. "I called my sisters and said, 'We're going to move to a two-room house. Everything will be fine. Just pray for me,'" he shared.

From a few thousand pounds to several million pounds was the next leap when Wolfsburg signed him in 2017. After a difficult time in Germany, Osimhen revived his career at Charleroi and then shone in the colors of Lille. A season with 13 goals in Ligue 1 was enough for Napoli to break the club record to sign him in 2020.

Osimhen is the pride of Nigerian football.

Tragedy struck again when his father passed away just before the deal was finalized. Osimhen didn't make it back in time to see his father one last time. That shock almost made him want to give up football. "I smashed everything. I wondered what football was for if I couldn't be with my family," he said.

Thanks to the encouragement of coach Luciano Spalletti, Osimhen bounced back and scored 26 goals, leading Napoli to the Serie A title in 2022/23 after a 33-year wait. Although he later left Italy, he maintained an impressive performance in Türkiye.

From a boy selling water amidst the traffic in Lagos to a global star, Osimhen has become a symbol of resilience. "I want to inspire children like myself, those who have to work for their next meal, scavenge through garbage dumps, dream, and pray," he affirms.

Starting from near rock bottom, Osimhen rose through talent and perseverance to establish himself at the pinnacle of European football. His story is inspiring, but above all, it is the result of relentless effort.