A lighthearted plea from a popular Ghanaian content creator has set social media ablaze, reigniting the fierce football rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana. The call is for Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to abandon Nigeria and represent Ghana's Black Stars at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Viral Plea Ignites Social Media Firestorm
The online frenzy was sparked by Ghanaian YouTuber Woye Maya, who posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) following Victor Osimhen's outstanding performance for his club, Galatasaray. In the clip, Maya posed the question: "Can he switch his nationality to Ghana? He is currently one of the best strikers in the world, and it's unbelievable he won't be playing at the World Cup."
This humorous request came after Osimhen scored a brace for Galatasaray in a thrilling 3-2 Super Lig victory over Samsunspor on Saturday, December 6, 2025. His performance, which included a sensational late winner, highlighted his world-class talent and made his impending absence from the global tournament even more poignant for fans.
Fans Clash as Regional Rivalry Flares Up
The post triggered thousands of reactions, drawing a mix of amusement and indignation from football enthusiasts across West Africa. Nigerian fans were quick to defend their star player, with many expressing anger at the suggestion.
One fan responded jokingly, "If you ask nicely (and agree to take back all your previous low-blow banters), we just might consider sending him to Ghana on loan for the WC." Meanwhile, some Ghanaian supporters rallied behind the idea, with one tweeting, "Yeah, we'll consider him—he should just switch already." Others dismissed the debate entirely, claiming Osimhen's international allegiance was irrelevant to them.
The online exchange underscored the intense and historic sporting rivalry between the two neighboring nations. This rivalry was painfully evident in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where Ghana edged out Nigeria on head-to-head records to secure their ticket to the tournament in Qatar.
Osimhen's World Cup Dream Deferred
Despite being one of the world's most formidable strikers, Victor Osimhen has yet to make an appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The 26-year-old forward broke into the Nigerian national team in 2019 but has faced consecutive qualification heartbreaks.
After the painful loss to Ghana in 2022, Nigeria's hopes for the 2026 World Cup were dashed in a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoff final. This means Osimhen, now in his prime, will miss a second consecutive World Cup.
Osimhen remains fully committed to the Super Eagles and is set to lead their attack at the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria will be aiming to improve on their 2023 performance, where they finished as runners-up after losing the final to hosts Ivory Coast.
On the club front, Osimhen continues to shine for Galatasaray. His match-winning brace against Samsunspor, which included a spectacular bicycle kick, demonstrated his critical importance to the Turkish side. Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk has recently expressed delight at the striker's return from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for Nigeria against DR Congo.
