Galatasaray have been dealt a brutal mid season headache after star striker Victor Osimhen was named in Nigeria’s preliminary AFCON squad, meaning the Süper Lig leaders look almost certain to lose their top scorer for a chunk of December and January. The call up, confirmed this week, lands right in the middle of a busy schedule and threatens to derail what has been a sharp campaign so far.
Nigeria has already started gearing up for the tournament, which kicks off early next year, and the Super Eagles want their key men in camp as soon as possible. FIFA rules state players can still feature for their clubs until 15 December, so Osimhen is eligible to stay put briefly, but the window is painfully tight for Galatasaray, who has a pile of fixtures lined up.
He is expected to squeeze in two final matches before packing his bags against Monaco on 9 December and Antalyaspor on 13 December, the latter seen as crucial to the club’s momentum. There are whispers he’ll report to national duty a day late, but it makes little difference, as he’s still ruled out of the final league match of the first half of the season, a trip to Kasımpaşa, which could prove costly in a title race that’s already tight as anything.
The real trouble kicks in once the calendar flips. Nigeria’s AFCON campaign could run until mid January, with the third place clash pencilled in for 17 January and the final on the 18th. Galatasaray don’t have the luxury of waiting around: the Süper Lig’s second half begins on 15 January and, awkwardly, there’s also the Super Cup showdown with Trabzonspor on 5 January. Realistically, Osimhen won’t be seen in either.
It leaves manager Okan Buruk scratching his head, with the possibility of facing the entire restart without his biggest goal threat. Galatasaray haven’t exactly been shy in front of goal this season, but take Osimhen out of the picture and the front line looks nowhere near as frightening. There’s talk of a quick tactical reshuffle, maybe even a short term signing, but the clock is ticking.
The bigger question is how Nigeria fare at AFCON. A deep run means Osimhen could disappear for almost a month, walking back into a club already knee deep in the title fight. A swift exit would help Galatasaray massively, though no one in Istanbul is daft enough to say that out loud. For now, they’re bracing for the worst and praying someone steps up before the goals dry out.
Galatasaray sit top of the table and favourites for the title, but January could easily shift the tone. They’ll hope the damage is minimal, otherwise the celebrations might be cancelled long before spring arrives.
