Amuneke took Osimhen to the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, where he ended up winning the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards after scoring 10 goals and providing two assists.
However, Osimhen endured a tough time in the training camp and almost walked away.
“I would rewind to when I joined the U17s and when I first went to the camp. In my own mentality, I felt the coach didn’t like me. Every time, he would speak to me and yell at me on the pitch. For me, I thought maybe he was making me suffer,” Osimhen told NFF media.
“There was a time I wanted to leave the camp, I spoke to the coordinator and he told me to be calm that the coach knew what he was doing.
“For me, I think when you have chosen this path, you have to be disciplined. Discipline is the first thing, whether you have a coach or you don’t have a coach guiding you, I think discipline is the first thing. And I am really happy with what I went through with coach Emmanuel Amuneke.
“Everything I am today, everything I would be in the future, I attribute almost half of my success to him. Whatever I have achieved, he really set my path, he made me understand life isn’t all about talent, you have to work hard, you have to be disciplined and listen to the coach’s instructions either on or off the pitch. I think other players that played under him can also testify, not just me.
“So, I think, whatever, path you choose, be it football or music or any other thing, you have to be disciplined and know what you are doing and what you want.”
