Nigeria’s Sports Minister John Owan Enoh on Thursday, expressed displeasure with the video made on tiktok by Italian club Napoli, ridiculing its own player, Victor Osimhen.
He said Nigeria is pursuing diplomatic avenues with Italy over the mocking of the Nigerian international footballer.
The club shared a video on their TikTok account of Osimhen missing a penalty, dubbed with a high-pitched voice saying “gimme penalty please”.
The club deleted the post after a backlash, but the player’s agent has threatened legal action against the club.
Mr Enoh also said that the Nigerian government placed a priority on protecting the welfare of its athletes.
“We are committed to ensuring our sportsmen and women are accorded the respect they deserve and are not exposed to any injustice,” Mr Enoh said.
On Thursday, Napoli released a statement saying that the video was created with “expressive language used in a light-hearted and playful manner”.
Describing Osimhen as “an asset to our club”, the Italian side also said it “never intended to offend or make fun of the player.