AFCON-bound Osimhen Becomes Most-Searched Personality in Turkey for 2025

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has been named the most-searched personality in Turkey for 2025, marking the second consecutive year he tops the country’s Google search rankings.

The recognition comes at the end of a dramatic and highly scrutinized year for the Galatasaray forward, whose performances and transfer saga kept him firmly in the public eye.

Osimhen began the year in outstanding form, playing a decisive role in Galatasaray’s Turkish Süper Lig and Turkish Cup double during his loan spell. After returning to Napoli in June, his future dominated the summer transfer window, with several European clubs linked to the Nigerian international.

Galatasaray ultimately completed a Turkish-record €75 million deal to sign Osimhen permanently in late August, also handing him the highest salary in Turkish football history.

Since rejoining the Istanbul giants, Osimhen has scored three goals in 10 league matches and added six goals in three UEFA Champions League appearances, continuing his prolific form on the continental stage.

According to rankings published by Zspor, football-related search entries dominated Turkey’s Google trends in 2025. Osimhen led the list ahead of teammates Mario Lemina and Leroy Sané, while Fenerbahçe stars Anderson Talisca and Diego Carlos also featured. Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün was the only basketball personality in the top group.

Despite his success in Turkey, Osimhen’s fortunes with the Super Eagles have been mixed. The striker has maintained a strong scoring rate for Nigeria, but his goals have not translated into major international success. He is yet to win the Africa Cup of Nations and will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Nigeria failed to qualify.

Osimhen has been included in head coach Eric Chelle’s provisional 55-man squad for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco and is widely expected to make the final list. The Napoli academy product will be aiming to lead Nigeria to a fourth continental title, a triumph that would further strengthen his status as one of the most influential forwards in the nation’s football history.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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