By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen is set to arrive in Istanbul today aboard a chartered flight arranged by his club Galatasaray, following the injury that ruled him out of Tuesday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa.
Osimhen sustained the setback during Saturday’s Group C clash with Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, a match that ended in frustration despite Nigeria’s narrow 1-0 win.
Reacting swiftly, Galatasaray dispatched a private jet to bring the former Napoli star back to Turkey, where he will undergo immediate and comprehensive medical assessments to determine the severity of the injury and outline a recovery plan.
The absence of the 2023 CAF Footballer of the Year is a major blow for the Super Eagles, who face a decisive test in Bloemfontein.
Coach Finidi George is now expected to hand a starting role to in-form striker Tolu Arokodare, whose goal against Rwanda secured Nigeria’s vital three points.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with 10 points, three adrift of leaders South Africa, who have 13 and require just one more victory to seal automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
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.
