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Galatasaray confirm Victor Osimhen suffers hamstring strain after Nigeria’s Playoff defeat
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Galatasaray have confirmed that Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has sustained a moderate strain in his left hamstring.
The injury occurred during the first half of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers playoff final between Nigeria and DR Congo, a tense encounter that the Super Eagles ultimately lost on penalties.
According to the Turkish champions, Osimhen will undergo full medical care and a structured rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical team to aid his recovery.
The Super Eagles forward is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks as he works toward regaining full fitness. His absence comes as a major blow for both club and country, with Galatasaray set to navigate upcoming fixtures without their top striker.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will miss out on successive World Cups after suffering a shock African final play-off defeat to DR Congo. The Super Eagles were hot favourites to make it through to a final intercontinental playoff in March after seeing off Gabon, but DR Congo shattered their dreams after a gruelling contest that was ultimately decided on penalties.
The two teams played out a 1-1 draw in normal time, and Nigeria’s attacking threat evaporated after Osimhen was withdrawn at the interval with a leg issue. DR Congo were unfortunate not to find a second goal, but luck shone on them in the shootout as they earned a 4-3 victory.
It never should have come to this for what is undoubtedly a golden generation for Nigeria. The absence of Osimhen will be an especially great shame when the World Cup kicks off, given the Galatasaray star is among the best strikers in the business. He scored eight goals in qualifying, but the rest of the Nigeria squad did not match his high standards. The likes of Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey, and Wilfred Ndidi all disappointed and will need to do some serious soul-searching.
Things might have been different had Osimhen not missed three games due to injury, but Nigeria has become far too reliant on the former Napoli man. He will be 30 by the time the next World Cup rolls around, which means his prime years will have gone to waste from a global perspective.
