‘Victor Osimhen is half of Galatasaray’ – Turkish referee hails Nigerian star’s impact

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Turkish referee Ahmet Cakar has heaped praise on Victor Osimhen, describing the Nigerian striker as the key figure behind Galatasaray’s dominant domestic campaign.

Cakar, speaking on the BTV YouTube channel, said Osimhen has been instrumental to the Super Lig leaders and could be the decisive factor in their title push.

However, he expressed doubts about the club’s ability to retain the 26-year-old beyond the current season.

“Galatasaray has saddened one third of Türkiye. Osimhen means half of Galatasaray,” Cakar said.

“He scores goals, he makes them score. He has an incredible command of the air.”

Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan for the 2024/25 season after a potential Premier League move failed to materialize last summer.

Napoli, his parent club, had demanded €75 million to trigger his release clause—an amount suitors like Manchester United and Chelsea were unwilling to meet.

The Nigerian opted for Galatasaray following a reported fallout with the Serie A club.

Since his arrival, Osimhen has been prolific, currently sitting just one goal shy of equaling his career-best tally of 31 goals, which he achieved during Napoli’s title-winning 2022/23 campaign.

With six league matches remaining, Galatasaray lead the Turkish Super Lig with 77 points, five ahead of José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. They have also reached the Turkish Cup final.

Cakar warned that Osimhen’s performances could reignite interest from major European clubs.

“Osimhen will make Galatasaray champions, but I don’t know if he’ll stay,” Cakar said.

“He might go to England or Spain next year. He’s the type of player who can destroy teams there.”

Galatasaray are reportedly eager to sign Osimhen on a permanent deal, but they face a stiff challenge in matching Napoli’s valuation amid rising interest from Europe’s elite.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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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