Former Nigeria international Osaze Odemwingie has called on Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to better manage his emotions on the pitch, cautioning that his recurring confrontations are handing opponents a blueprint to destabilise him.

Speaking on Brila FM's breakfast show No Holds Barred, Odemwingie said he has witnessed the pattern too many times and believes it must stop. "My first feeling was, 'Not again'," he admitted. "I've seen it quite a bit. It's happening a bit more often than it should."

The Villarreal flashpoint

The remarks follow a heated altercation between Osimhen and Villarreal defender Santiago Mouriño during a pre-season friendly at RAMS Park. Galatasaray lost the match 2-1, and Osimhen was reported to have grown frustrated after Mouriño used his body to block the striker from advancing into a dangerous position inside the penalty area.

Odemwingie acknowledged that provocation on the pitch is real, particularly in friendly matches where tensions can surprisingly run high. "Sometimes we get provoked, and especially in friendly games, it annoys more because it's a friendly game," he said. However, he was clear that understanding the reaction does not mean endorsing it.

A warning for defenders who take notice

The former Super Eagles winger stressed that Osimhen's explosive temperament is becoming a liability that clever defenders are already looking to exploit. "Defenders are scared of him and they will try to upset him and get under his skin," Odemwingie said. "He needs to deal with this and be humble."

Odemwingie added that Osimhen's growing profile in world football makes emotional discipline even more critical. "He's becoming a big name in football and this will naturally get into his head, but he needs to find a way to be more humble," he said.

Room for context

While Odemwingie stopped short of condemning Osimhen outright, he acknowledged that the full picture of the Mouriño incident remains unclear. "Before you jump to conclusions, you have to look a little bit more into it. There may have been something said before that incident, so we can only speculate for now," he noted. "If you ask Victor why he reacted that way, he might tell you that the player said something."

For now, Odemwingie's message to Osimhen is straightforward — stay composed, stay dangerous, and do not give referees or opponents any easy target to aim at.