Victor Osimhen will miss Super Eagles’ back-to-back 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya as he has been ruled out for six weeks with a thigh strain.
Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray, was substituted off in half-time of the club’s 3-3 draw at home against Kasimpasa last weekend with a suspected muscular problem.
Afterwards, the 25-year-old Nigeria international said the injury was not serious but according to Football Italia, he will be out for more than a month, indicating the issue is more serious than previously thought.
The injury came just as the reigning African Player of the Year was picking up form again after missing pre-season activities with Napoli before his loan move to Turkey.
Osimhen has a long profile of injuries. While at Napoli, he suffered a dislocated shoulder and later a serious facial injury – which is why he wears his trademark mask. He also suffered repeated muscular problems. He has missed all of Nigeria’s four matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers through injuries.
He returned to the national team for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda but failed to start either of the matches due to a fitness challenge caused by lack of matches at the start of the season.
He scored the third goal in Super Eagles‘ 3-0 victory over the Cheetahs at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 7, however, fired blanks as a substitute in the second game in Kigali against the Amavubi, who forced Nigeria to a 0-0 draw.
His absence will also be a big miss for Galatasaray, for whom he has scored two goals and registered three assists in four matches.
