Ajibade Olusesan 
Ex-international, Moses Kpakor, is worried about the refusal of Super Eagles, striker, Victor Osimhen, to apologise to the erstwhile Manager of the national team, Finidi George, following his social media rant disrespecting the coach.
Osimhen lashed out at Finidi on social media claiming he learnt the then Eagles coach questioned his commitment to the national team.
Osimhen was widely criticized on social media for the rant with top sporting figures urging him to apologize but Finidi confirmed the Galatasaray loanee is yet to mend fences with him despite reaching out to him.
However, Kpakor said the development is unfortunate and symptomatic of the erosion of societal values. He lamented that discipline which formed a ubiquitous part of Nigeria’s life in the past has ebbed away and Osimhen’s confrontation with coach Finidi is reflective of the malaise that has dogged the country.
Kpakor, a key member of the silver-winning team at the 1990 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted in Algeria, said discipline and respect for coaches and senior team members were non-negotiable, recalling how as a junior player he revered his senior colleagues to a point of washing their jerseys and clothes.
He said, “We are living in a different world today. In our days, young players used to wash seniour players’ clothes. I used to wash senior players’ jerseys in the national camp.
We were all in the national camp. I used to massage their ego. That was the discipline then. It wasn’t just in the schools; discipline was everywhere in our society. It was a great value. If a young person is being corrected, they must stand the test. .
Go back and apologize. If he has refused to apologize, that’s his own opinion. There is a Yoruba adage that says when you are disrespecting elders, one day you will be an elder and the young person will insult you, and then you will know what it is.
If the guy doesn’t want to apologize, you don’t force people to make apologies. Finidi is not holding anything against him which is good.
