Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has shared a deeply personal account of his humble beginnings, revealing how a 15-minute opportunity at a football trial in Abuja changed the course of his life.
In an emotional reflection, the Super Eagles forward recalled leaving home with only a backpack and two pairs of clothes — the outfit he was wearing and a green kit tucked inside his bag. He described traveling overnight in an old car to Abuja in pursuit of his football dream.
Arriving at the trial venue the next morning, Osimhen said he was overwhelmed by the massive crowd of aspiring footballers.
“The sun came up and I saw what looked like one million kids with a dream. Maybe one million is an exaggeration, but not by much. There must have been about 900 kids waiting outside the stadium,” he recounted.
According to him, he did not get a chance to play on the first day. On the second day, however, a coach finally pointed at him and gave him a brief instruction.
“Green shirt. Let’s go. You have 15 minutes.”
Osimhen said he understood instantly that the 15-minute window was his only shot at changing his life.
“I knew the only way to impress them was to run. So I ran until I was sweating blood,” he said.
In that short period, he scored two goals, raising hopes that he had secured a place. However, when the coaches later announced selected names over a microphone, his name was not mentioned.
“My dream was dead,” he admitted, adding that he was already heading back to the car when he heard people shouting.
Some fellow hopefuls had alerted him that the coach wanted to see him after the team doctor identified him as the player who scored twice.
“The doctor was pointing at me and holding up two fingers. He said, ‘That’s the kid.’ Two fingers saved me,” Osimhen said.
He credited the team doctor’s intervention for altering his destiny, noting that without that moment, he might never have become a professional footballer.
Today, Osimhen stands as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated football exports, but his story serves as a powerful reminder of resilience, persistence, and the life-changing power of opportunity.
