By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen has pledged to lead Galatasaray to the Europa League title this season following his crucial equalizer in their 1-1 draw against AZ Alkmaar.
The Super Eagles striker scored the vital goal that secured an important away point for the Yellow and Reds.
Despite the draw, Osimhen expressed satisfaction with his performance and made a bold promise to bring the UEFA Europa League trophy to Turkey by the end of the season.
“I said I would score a goal, and I did. Now, I make another promise: I will bring the UEFA Cup to Turkey,” Osimhen said in a post-match interview.
The 25-year-old forward also acknowledged the challenges of the match, noting that his team’s mental fatigue from a weekend fixture may have played a role in the draw.
“It feels good to score, and we leave with one point,” he continued.
“We may have been a little tired mentally because we had a match just four days ago, but overall, our team’s performance was good. We remain unbeaten in Europe, and we’ll continue pushing forward.”
Galatasaray’s strong European campaign continues, and Osimhen’s commitment to securing the club’s first Europa League title in years serves as a testament to his determination and ambition.
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.
