Italy manager Roberto Mancini has defended children wearing costume as Nigerian striker and Serie A top scorer Victor Osimhen during carnival week in Naples.

Sporting costumes, masks and capes, both adults and children traditionally attend the carnival dressed as one of their heroes – and this year, several children chose to embody Osimhen, who has netted 20 goals in 24 matches for Napoli this season.

In a video that has gained millions of views on twitter, a user showed a boy dressed in Napoli jersey and blacked up with a mask to look like Osimhen.

The dressing however attracted some backlash on social media as fans hit out at the culture as racism.