In a devastating blow to Nigeria's football aspirations, Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is set to miss the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco after sustaining a serious hamstring injury.
Injury During World Cup Playoff
The 26-year-old Galatasaray forward suffered the injury during the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff final against DR Congo on November 16. Osimhen was substituted by coach Eric Chelle at the end of the first half and replaced by Sevilla forward Akor Adams.
His absence proved costly as Nigeria suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Leopards, effectively ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 Mundial. The injury occurred at the worst possible time for the Super Eagles, who were relying heavily on their star striker.
Osimhen's Crucial Role in Super Eagles
The former Napoli striker has been instrumental to Nigeria's recent successes, demonstrating his importance throughout the World Cup qualifiers. During the qualifying campaign, the Super Eagles failed to win their first four matches without Osimhen, highlighting his indispensable role in the team.
When fit, Osimhen delivered spectacular performances, scoring a brace in his first match against Rwanda and netting another goal in the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe. He then produced a stunning hat-trick against Benin Republic in the final qualifier and continued his impressive form with a brace against Gabon in the Africa playoff semifinal.
Osimhen currently stands as Nigeria's second-highest all-time goal scorer, trailing only the legendary Rashidi Yekini in the national team's record books.
Galatasaray's Medical Update and Concerns
Turkish champions Galatasaray have confirmed that Osimhen will be sidelined for approximately three weeks, making his participation in the AFCON tournament highly unlikely. The club expressed frustration over the handling of the player's fitness during international duty.
According to medical reports, Galatasaray's medical team had specifically instructed that Osimhen should not play beyond the 70th minute as he had not fully recovered from a previous injury sustained against Rwanda during the qualifiers.
The medical directive emphasized that Osimhen's hamstring issues meant he couldn't play beyond 70 minutes until at least next season, when he's expected to be fully fit. However, Nigeria played him through extra time against DR Congo, which reportedly contributed to the relapse of his injury.
The significance of Osimhen's absence was immediately felt by Galatasaray, who lost 1-0 to Union St. Gilloise in their recent match. Besiktas legend Sinan Engin noted that "the Turkish champions always lose a significant part of their identity whenever the Nigerian forward is unavailable."
Tournament Details and Implications
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to run from December 21 to January 18, 2026, in Morocco. Osimhen's absence creates a major selection headache for coach Eric Chelle, who must now find alternative attacking options for the continental tournament.
This development comes as Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek confirmed that the club is open to transfer offers for the Nigerian international, citing the player's age and performance as factors that make him a prime candidate for a future move.
The loss of Osimhen represents one of the biggest challenges facing the Super Eagles as they prepare to compete against Africa's best without their talismanic striker and goal-scoring machine.
