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Victor Osimhen, the 26-year-old Nigerian striker for Galatasaray, suffered an injury during the World Cup African play-off final against DR Congo, raising concerns about his short-term availability.
The Istanbul side’s star was substituted at half-time, with coach Eric Chelle saying the forward had felt "discomfort behind his leg." Although no official statement has been made about his condition, Osimhen appeared visibly uncomfortable after being taken off.
Osimhen had also suffered an ankle sprain during a national team match against Rwanda in September, which caused him to miss three games.
Osimhen watched the second half from the sidelines and appeared to hobble at full time, raising doubts about his immediate availability. The development matters for Galatasaray, who are preparing for a top-of-the-table Turkish Super Lig match against Fenerbahce and upcoming UEFA Champions League ties.
The European side of Istanbul lost its last Super Lig match 1-0 away to Kocaelispor, while the Anatolian side, Fenerbahce, narrowed the gap at the top to one point with a 4-2 home win over Kayserispor.
Before the Fenerbahce clash, which could shape the rest of this season’s title race, Galatasaray will also host Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League.
For Nigeria, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent’s national-team tournament, begins in a little over a month.
The match in Rabat finished 1–1 after extra time, and DR Congo won 4–3 on penalties to advance to the inter-confederation play-offs scheduled for Mexico next March. A penalty shootout is a tie-breaker in which players take alternating kicks from the penalty mark after a drawn match.
Chelle’s team—despite conceding in the third minute to a deflected shot from Frank Onyeka—forced the shootout through Mechak Elia’s first-half equalizer and then converted the decisive kick through captain Chancel Mbemba.
Two saves in the shootout came from substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, introduced in the final minute of extra time.
Without Osimhen—who had scored five goals across his previous two Nigeria appearances—the Super Eagles struggled to create clear chances after the interval.
Osimhen, who watched the penalty shootout from the sidelines, was reduced to tears after Nigeria’s defeat was sealed.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray from Italian club Napoli for a €75 million (€87 million) fee during this season’s summer transfer window, becoming the most expensive transfer in Turkish football history. He has played 12 matches so far this season and scored nine goals.
The Nigerian superstar has also been shortlisted alongside Moroccan Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian Mohamed Salah for the 2025 African Men’s Player of the Year award.
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