Victor Osimhen Set to Miss Nigeria’s AFCON Qualifiers With Groin Injury
Nigeria will be without Victor Osimhen for the opening matches of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign after Galatasaray confirmed that the striker is nursing a significant groin injury.
Osimhen suffered the injury during Galatasaray’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir, despite making an early impact by scoring the opening goal.
The Turkish champions revealed that Osimhen and midfielder Mario Lemina have both sustained a “moderate to advanced level strain with bleeding in the right groin area.”
According to the club, both players are receiving treatment and are expected to return after the current international break.
The development means Osimhen is unlikely to feature when the Super Eagles begin their AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25.
Nigeria will then travel to face Guinea-Bissau four days later, with both matches scheduled for 16:00 GMT.
The Super Eagles are in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, who are automatically qualified for the tournament as co-hosts. Nigeria will need to finish as the best-ranked qualifying team in the group to secure their place at the 2027 AFCON.
Osimhen’s absence is a major setback for head coach Eric Chelle, particularly at the beginning of a new qualifying campaign.
The Galatasaray forward has become one of Nigeria’s most important attacking players, with his pace, strength, movement and goals making him a difficult player to replace.
His injury also comes at a challenging time for the Super Eagles following their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria have faced both September opponents in previous AFCON qualifying campaigns. The Super Eagles defeated Madagascar home and away during the qualifiers for the 2012 tournament, while Guinea-Bissau recorded a famous victory in Abuja during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers before Nigeria responded with a win in Bissau.
With Osimhen unavailable, Chelle will have to find an alternative attacking option for the two fixtures.
Nigeria still have other talented forwards available, but replacing Osimhen’s all-round contribution will be a difficult task. His ability to stretch defences, battle with defenders, hold up play and attack balls in the box gives the Super Eagles an attacking dimension that will be missed.
The first challenge will come against Madagascar in Uyo, where Nigeria will be expected to begin the campaign with three points.
The trip to Guinea-Bissau four days later could provide an even tougher test, making Osimhen’s absence particularly significant.
Galatasaray, meanwhile, will hope the striker responds well to treatment and is able to return to action soon after the international break.
