By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has provided reassurance over the fitness of Victor Osimhen following the striker’s early withdrawal during the club’s gritty 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
Osimhen, making his first start since returning from an injury sustained on international duty with Nigeria, was the match-winner after calmly converting a first-half penalty at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex (RAMS Park).
However, tension briefly gripped home supporters when the 24-year-old signaled to the bench in the 72nd minute, prompting his substitution for Mauro Icardi. Given his recent injury history, concerns quickly arose over a potential setback.
Speaking after the match, Buruk clarified that the change was purely precautionary.
“Osimhen was feeling tired and had a cramp in his foot, but we don’t think it’s anything serious,” Buruk said. “There’s no negative information coming in at this time.”
The Nigerian forward is now expected to be fit for Galatasaray’s upcoming Super Lig clash against rivals Beşiktaş.
The win over Liverpool further strengthens Galatasaray’s European credentials and underlines Osimhen’s growing influence since his summer move to Turkey.
His match-winning performance comes as a major boost for both club and country ahead of crucial domestic and international fixtures.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
