Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria’s opening AFCON qualifiers after his recovery from injury took longer than club and country had hoped.
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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of Nigeria’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, with his recovery from a groin strain taking longer than initially expected.
A Fitness Test He Didn’t Pass
Osimhen had originally been included in Eric Chelle’s squad for the international window, with both Galatasaray and the Super Eagles technical crew hopeful he would be fit in time. His availability for Galatasaray’s Super Lig clash with Trabzonspor on September 19 was seen by both club and country as a key marker of his fitness, but he did not feature in that match.
Galatasaray Confirm The Setback
According to a statement from Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe, Osimhen’s absence from the Trabzonspor game confirmed what Galatasaray had already relayed to Chelle, that the striker remains sidelined and will not be ready for Nigeria’s upcoming matches. Efoghe noted that recovery from the muscle strain had been slower than hoped.
Nigeria’s Fixtures Without Their Talisman
Nigeria open their qualifying campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later, both games now set to go ahead without their first choice striker. Osimhen has scored six goals and provided two assists in four league appearances for Galatasaray so far this season.
