The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be without their talismanic striker Victor Osimhen when they take on South Africa at the Free State Toyota Stadium on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Galatasaray striker led the line for Eric Chelle’s side against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo yesterday evening, and thought he’d scored the opener inside ten minutes, only for the linesman’s flag to go up for offside.
Osimhen’s evening would only get worse after he was clattered into by a Rwandan defender in the 28th minute. After further on-field treatments by the Nigerian physios, the 26-year-old tried to continue playing.
However, he was writhing in pain and pulled up a few minutes later, taking his mask off and asking for a change, visibly livid, before he was taken off for Cyriel Dessers in the 35th minute.
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Galatasaray coach reacts to Osimhen‘s injury
While Osimhen shook off early signs of the injury in Gala’s 3-1 win over Rizespor, his complication against Rwanda is expected to keep him out for about two weeks. The striker is expected to land in Turkey tomorrow.
The Cim Bom Aslan coach, Okan Buruk, has reacted to his striker’s injury, claiming it the news reaching him was ‘disturbing.
“He’s currently unfit for the match in two days. We’ll see what happens. This is devastating news for tonight,” the 51-year-old said in quotes revealed by Aktifhaber.
“Osimhen clearly has some pain. He informed us. We took immediate action. If he’s not playing for the national team, we want to bring him here as soon as possible for a checkup.
“He’s currently unfit to play in the next two days. We’ll see what happens. This is devastating news for tonight. We hope it’s nothing serious. It’s an injury we’ll overcome as best we can,” the Turkish gaffer concluded.
Osimhen’s injury causes more headaches for Eric Chelle ahead of Nigeria’s clash against South Africa.
The 47-year-old will be banking on Cyriel Dessers, Tolu Arokodare, and Ademola Lookman to aid in finding the back of the net at the Free State Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa, on Tuesday.
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