A Nigerian football coach has ignited a social media storm after putting a pair of boots gifted to him by Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen up for sale. The coach cited pressing financial needs as the reason behind his controversial decision to auction the prized memorabilia.
Financial Hardship Forces Sale of Precious Gift
Olisa Ezeasor, the assistant coach of Solution FC based in Anambra State, listed the boots for NGN 1 million. He explained his situation in a post on the social media platform X, detailing that the money was needed to support and expand his personal business.
Ezeasor revealed he had initially taken a NGN 300,000 loan from a relative to start the venture, which had grown in value to NGN 900,000 within four months. After repaying the initial loan, he sought a larger loan of up to NGN 10 million to scale the business, leading to the decision to sell Osimhen's boots.
The boots were originally given to him by Victor Osimhen during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in October. Osimhen had just scored a hat-trick in Nigeria's 4-0 win over the Benin Republic and gifted the boots to Ezeasor after the coach hailed him following his 29th international goal.
Mixed Reactions and a Swift Sale
The coach's announcement triggered a wave of reactions from Nigerian football fans online. While some understood his financial predicament, others criticized the move as disrespectful to the gesture of the gift.
One user, @Stecojnr, commented, "Victor won't be happy you sold a gift he gave you and this will make him not to give out his belongings because people will end up selling it." Another, @Leodeck__, suggested the boots had greater long-term value as content material. Several fans advised Ezeasor to target fans of Osimhen's Turkish club, Galatasaray, suggesting they might pay a premium, with one user claiming they could pay five times the asking price.
Despite the debate, the sale was concluded rapidly. Fola Olatunji-David, a board member of the Nigerian club Sporting Lagos, purchased the boots for an undisclosed sum. Following the sale, Coach Ezeasor announced a NGN 250,000 giveaway to his followers on X as a gesture of appreciation.
Osimhen's Focus Shifts to AFCON 2025
As this off-field episode unfolds, Victor Osimhen's primary attention is now on leading the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is scheduled to begin on December 21, 2025. Nigeria will be aiming to go one better than their second-place finish in the last edition of the tournament.
In a related act of generosity highlighted in the original report, Osimhen recently donated a staggering NGN 5 million to support a social media influencer, Aunty Esther, who is battling breast cancer. This contribution helped push total donations for her therapy past NGN 23 million.
