osimhen-failed-medicals-to-superstar-moment
Royal Charleroi’s former coach Felice Mazzu has opened up on the early struggles of Victor Osimhen, revealing how the Nigerian striker came dangerously close to seeing his football career cut short before eventually rising to global stardom.
Osimhen moved to Wolfsburg after finishing as top scorer at the 2015 U-17 World Cup, but his time in Germany was far from successful. He struggled with injuries, form, and confidence—managing just 335 minutes of senior football in the 2017/18 season.
As Wolfsburg sought to send him out on loan, his situation worsened. Two Belgian clubs—Club Brugge and Zulte Waregem—rejected him after he failed medical tests, mainly due to a knee problem.
When Charleroi decided to take a chance on him, Mazzu was immediately struck by his condition. Speaking to RTBF, he said:
“Victor arrived at our club limping. He had been rejected by Bruges and Zulte Waregem; injured in the knee, he was unable to pass his medical tests.”
Charleroi’s doctor, Frédéric Borlée, however, saw potential.
“Our doctor told me, ‘Leave him with me for a few weeks and I’ll get him back in shape.’”
Within a month, Osimhen was fully fit again.
Mazzu recalls the moment things clicked:
“A little later, I brought him up to Beveren… and he scored with a backheel. Victor never left the first team again.”
Osimhen exploded from there—scoring 20 goals and providing four assists in 36 matches for Charleroi.
The club signed him permanently for €3.5 million, then sold him one month later to Lille for €22.4 million, a record profit.
From Lille, Osimhen’s rise continued:
Moved to Napoli, where he fired them to their first Serie A title in 33 years
Joined Galatasaray, helping them secure their 25th league crown
What seemed like a dead end in Belgium turned out to be the defining sliding-doors moment of his career.
Without Borlée’s intervention—and Charleroi’s gamble—football may never have witnessed the Victor Osimhen the world celebrates today.
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