Super Eagles striker and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has opened up on the emotional reasons he always visits Olusosun, a community in Lagos State, whenever he returns to Nigeria.
Speaking after Galatasaray’s 3–0 UEFA Champions League victory over Ajax on Wednesday, the 26-year-old football star reflected on his humble beginnings and how growing up in Olusosun shaped his character, resilience, and outlook on life.
Osimhen, who is the last of seven children, revealed that his childhood was marked by hardship, loss, and the struggle for survival, following the death of his mother at a young age and the passing of his father in 2020.
“I came from a very poor background. I’m the lastborn of seven. I lost my mum at a very young age, and my father passed on in 2020,” Osimhen told UEFA’s website. “Before I rose to fame, before I became someone important in life, my childhood was really tough because, as a young lad, I had to try to live for myself and help my siblings raise money to support our father after our mother passed away.”
He described Olusosun, one of Lagos’s largest communities known for its bustling market and proximity to the city’s landfill, as an “amazing place” that taught him invaluable lessons about perseverance and hope despite adversity.
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“Olusosun shaped me to become the kind of person I am today,” Osimhen said. “As much as I wouldn’t say it gave me so much, it actually taught me life lessons that have helped me through life’s journey.”
The striker added that his visits to Olusosun are acts of gratitude and inspiration — a way to stay connected to his roots and to encourage the younger generation growing up under similar circumstances.
“So, for me, it’s really an amazing place; that’s the reason why any time I’m in Nigeria, I always go there to show gratitude, to show the young kids that if I could make it out of this place, I believe that you can,” he said.
Osimhen, who rose from selling bottled water on Lagos streets to becoming one of Africa’s most celebrated footballers, remains a symbol of hope for many Nigerian youths. His story continues to inspire millions who see in him the possibility of triumph over hardship through determination, faith, and hard work.