Nigerian football star Victor Osimhen is said to be emotionally affected by recent criticism from African fans over his absence from a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against South Africa.
According to Ali Naci Küçük, a respected football journalist in Turkey and reporter for Turkish club Galatasaray, Osimhen was deeply demoralized by online rumours accusing him of choosing club football over his country.
The criticism followed Osimhen’s withdrawal from the Super Eagles squad after picking up an ankle ligament injury during a previous World Cup qualifier against Rwanda. The 26-year-old striker returned to his club, Galatasaray, for treatment and missed the much-anticipated match against South Africa, which ended 1-1.
Speaking on the Futbol Arena YouTube channel, Küçük said the negative comments from Africa hit Osimhen hard.
“The comments made in Africa, like ‘he ran away from the national team for the Champions League’, brought Osimhen’s morale down,” he said.
“He became demoralized and fixated on those comments. He thought, ‘If I play now, people will say I really ran away from Nigeria’. He wanted to avoid giving people that impression.”
Küçük explained that although Osimhen had a strong desire to play for Galatasaray in their Champions League match against Frankfurt, he was still recovering and had not trained. There was even talk of him playing with pain-killing injections, which could have worsened the injury.
“Despite the loss, it was good that Osimhen didn’t play,” Küçük added. “Playing with no training would have been a big risk.”
Osimhen, one of Nigeria’s top football exports, is known for his commitment and fighting spirit, both for club and country. However, injuries have disrupted his recent appearances for the national team.
This latest situation has sparked conversations among fans and analysts about how injured players are perceived, especially when national pride is involved.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not issued an official statement, but fans remain divided. Some believe Osimhen was right to protect his health, while others feel he should have shown up to support the team, even if he couldn’t play.
