Galatasaray manager, Okan Buruk, has admitted that he often feels uneasy whenever striker Victor Osimhen leaves to represent Nigeria’s Super Eagles during international duty.
Buruk’s concerns resurfaced after Osimhen suffered an ankle injury in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
The 26-year-old forward was forced off in the first half and replaced by Cyriel Dessers.
“If there is a problem with Osimhen, we want to send a plane immediately and bring him back to Türkiye. We hope it’s nothing serious,” Buruk told Now Spor, as quoted by habersarikirmizi.
The Turkish coach revealed he first heard about the incident during dinner.
“I was at dinner when the waiter saw him and came to me with a phone in his hand. I always have fears about sending him to the national team, but tonight we experienced a bit of that. We reached Osimhen. The information we received is that he has pain in his foot.”
Buruk further highlighted the risks players face while competing in Africa.
“The conditions of the field there and the toughness of the opponents create fear for us. This fear came true with Osimhen. We reached out to him. He has some pain in his foot. We do not know exactly what it is. I spoke with Abdullah Kavukcu. They reached the player. Our club doctor Yener İnce contacted the national team doctors. If possible, we want to bring him here as soon as possible for examinations. Tomorrow, the situation will become clearer. He has pain. As a club, we have taken action. If necessary, we want to bring Osimhen here. The UEFA Champions League is also approaching. He is an important player for us.”
Osimhen’s fitness is now in doubt ahead of Nigeria’s next qualifier against South Africa on Tuesday.
