NEWLY appointed Napoli boss, Francesco Calzona has explained that the poor fitness form of Victor Osimhen is based on the outcome of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Recall that the 24-year-old was in the Super Eagles team of Nigeria that made it to the finals of the biennial tournament hosted in Ivory Coast as they, unfortunately, lost the finals to the host nation.
Osimhen, since returning to the club, has found the back of the net twice but still struggles with fitness issues as he has faced early substitutions in recent matches, which the Manager believed that the AFCON tournament was a major cause of the player's fitness level.
“He was only tired. Don’t forget he played at AFCON. Players are devastated when they return. He was tired also against Barcelona, but players always want to stay on the pitch,” Calzona told DAZN.
“He scored two goals in two matches and will slowly get back in shape," he added, signalling his confidence in Osimhen's recovery and return to top form.
Osimhen is expected to get back to his full form under the guidance of the new Manager as they aim to end the season on a high note despite sitting in ninth place in the Serie A, recording just 10 wins in 25 games.
