Galatasaray’s star striker Victor Osimhen has been officially named in Nigeria’s preliminary squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, confirming that the Süper Lig leaders face being without their talisman for several crucial fixtures in December and January.
The Nigerian National Team has begun preparations for the continental tournament, and under FIFA rules, players participating in AFCON are permitted to remain with their clubs for matches until December 15.
Two Final Matches for Galatasaray
This timeline confirms that Osimhen will be available for two key matches before departing for national duty:
December 9: Against Monaco
December 13: Against Antalyaspor
Misses Kasımpaşa and Risk for Super Cup
Nigeria’s training camp is scheduled to begin on December 12. Although Osimhen is reportedly set to join the national team one day late after the December 13 Antalyaspor match, this means he will be unavailable for Galatasaray’s final match of the first half of the season:
Last Week of First Half: Match against Kasımpaşa
Furthermore, the club faces serious selection headaches regarding their major cup final and the start of the league’s second half.
The AFCON third-place match is scheduled for January 17, with the Final set for January 18. Given that the second half of the Süper Lig campaign begins on January 15, and the Super Cup match against Trabzonspor is set for January 5, Osimhen is highly likely to miss both.
Depending entirely on Nigeria’s success in the tournament, Osimhen could be absent for the entire opening week of the league’s second half, placing immediate pressure on coach Okan Buruk to find a temporary replacement for the Nigerian star’s immense goal threat.
