By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen played a pivotal role as Galatasaray came from behind to secure a 3–1 victory over Göztepe in their Turkish Super Lig clash on Sunday.
The Matchday 10 encounter at Rams Park saw the hosts demonstrate character and resilience after conceding early. Efkan Bekitoglu gave Göztepe a shock lead in the 6th minute with a precise low strike that beat the Galatasaray defense.
Osimhen restored parity midway through the first half, capitalizing on a loose back pass to round the goalkeeper and calmly finish. The goal marked his ninth of the season, underlining his growing influence in Galatasaray’s attack.
The visitors’ hopes were further diminished when Malcom Bokele received a second yellow card and was sent off, leaving Göztepe with ten men.
Galatasaray took full advantage, with Gabriel Sara firing a powerful 25-yard strike into the top corner to put the hosts ahead. Moments later, captain Mauro Icardi volleyed home after the Göztepe goalkeeper parried an Osimhen header, sealing the 3–1 win.
The victory extends Galatasaray’s lead atop the Super Lig table, with Osimhen once again central to their title ambitions.
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.
