Osimhen’s absence exposes Galatasaray’s flaws, rules him out of Nigeria’s AFCON qualifiers

Victor Osimhen has missed Galatasaray’s last three fixtures across all competitions, during which the Turkish champions suffered two defeats, including a 4-0 loss to Trabzonspor on Saturday. Prior to his injury, Osimhen had scored in each of Galatasaray’s opening four Super Lig matches, and with him available the team dropped only two points in their first four league games (a draw with Corum FK and wins against Erzurumspor FK, Göztepe and Başakşehir). Turkish pundit Emre Bol said Osimhen’s goal-scoring had been hiding the team’s problems, which are now evident in his absence. Bol was quoted as saying Osimhen “sweeps all of Galatasaray’s problems under the rug” and that his individual quality had sustained the side in many games. The article also notes Osimhen has been ruled out of Nigeria’s forthcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea‑Bissau.

For Nigerian fans, this raises concerns about Osimhen’s fitness ahead of crucial AFCON qualifiers and highlights how much the national attack relies on him. Galatasaray’s struggles without him suggest that if he is not fully fit, the Super Eagles may need other strikers to step up quickly. The situation underscores the importance of monitoring his recovery and considering alternative options for the qualifiers.

Will Osimhen recover in time to rejoin the Super Eagles for the Madagascar and Guinea‑Bissau clashes, or should Nigeria begin preparing other options now?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/20/turkey-osimhen-hiding-galatasarays-problem-emre/