Victor Osimhen Ruled Out of AFCON Qualifiers After Slow Recovery
Galatasaray confirm the striker is still recovering and will miss Nigeria’s opening double-header. He will be unavailable for the matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Victor Osimhen will not be available for Nigeria’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifier fixtures.
He had already been included in Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad list, after Galatasaray and the Super Eagles technical crew hoped his muscle strain would ease in time for the Süper Lig match against Trabzonspor and the international window that followed.
That hope has not been realised. Osimhen’s absence from tonight’s club game confirms Galatasaray’s correspondence to Chelle: recovery is still ongoing, and the striker will not be ready for Nigeria’s matches. He will be unavailable for the matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The Super Eagles begin their qualifying campaign at home to Madagascar on Friday, 25 September at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, 29 September. Both games come within four days in Group L, where Tanzania already have an automatic place as AFCON 2027 co-hosts. That makes a strong start especially important.
Without Osimhen, Chelle will have to look to Tolu Arokodare, Akor Adams, George Ilenikhena and the rest of the forward line to carry the attack through the double-header.
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