Oliseh had accused the Galatasaray forward of being responsible for Nigeria’s exit from the tournament, arguing that an on-field spat between Osimhen and teammate Ademola Lookman disrupted team harmony and negatively affected Lookman’s performance.
But speaking on Brila FM, Udeze disagreed with the former Juventus midfielder’s assessment. He argued that Oliseh, being older and more experienced, should have used his influence to counsel Osimhen rather than publicly assigning blame.
“Osimhen is a younger player than Sunday Oliseh,” Udeze said. “Sunday should have used his channel to advise the Super Eagles striker regarding the discussion about him being the reason Nigeria didn’t win the AFCON.”
Udeze also dismissed the idea that the altercation between Osimhen and Lookman derailed Nigeria’s campaign.
“I don’t think what happened between Osimhen and Lookman cost us the AFCON. I don’t think so,” he said. “Victor Osimhen is your younger brother. You can also use your channel to speak to him; he’ll see it.”
The debate highlights growing tensions among former and current Nigerian football stakeholders over the country’s performance at major tournaments, as fans and pundits continue to search for answers behind Nigeria’s inability to clinch the AFCON title despite a talented squad.