Injured Victor Osimhen Leaves Nigeria Sweating Ahead of Lesotho, Benin Clashes
- Victor Osimhen could be ruled out of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and the Benin Republic
- The Nigerian international trained separately ahead of Galatasaray’s derby, raising doubts about his availability for Nigeria
- The Super Eagles risk missing the World Cup if they fail to secure maximum points from their massive fixtures on October 10 and 14
There are concerns in the Super Eagles camp ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and the Benin Republic.
Nigeria travel to South Africa to face the Crocodiles on October 10 before returning to Uyo, where they will clash against the Cheetahs.
With Bafana Bafana docked three points and three goals, the group has been thrown open ahead of the final phase of the series.
Source: Getty Images
However, Nigeria could be without Victor Osimhen, who did not take part in Galatasaray's full training on Thursday ahead of their derby with Beşiktaş.
Fanatik reports that the 26-year-old trained personally away from his teammates, raising doubts about his availability during the international break.
It has been a frustrating start to the season for the forward, who was out of action for three weeks having suffered an injury in Nigeria's home game against Rwanda.
He was out of action as Nigeria endured a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein, and his recovery has dragged on longer than expected.
Even though he netted the decisive goal as Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League, the forward has struggled to regain full fitness, per Reuters.
Head coach Eric Chelle has yet to make public the invited players for the upcoming matches; other members of the technical crew await updates on Osimhen's injury status.
The Super Eagles are third in the CAF qualification Group C with 11 points, three behind Benin and South Africa, who lead the pack.
Only the group winners will pick an automatic ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Failure to take maximum points from both Lesotho and Benin could prove disastrous as the team risks missing out on yet another edition of the global showpiece, per Soccernet.
So far this season, Osimhen has made five appearances for Galatasaray, netting three goals in all competitions.
Raphael Onyedika picks up injury
Also, Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign has been dealt another major setback after Raphael Onyedika picked up a serious injury for Club Brugge.
He is now set to miss the crucial October qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, leaving the Super Eagles’ midfield thin at a time when they cannot afford to drop points.
Source: Getty Images
The midfielder immediately clutched his hamstring before walking off the pitch with Club Brugge, confirming the Nigerian will be sidelined for a few weeks.
Ndidi returns to action
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is back in action after missing two matches due to an injury suffered in Bloemfontein.
His return will bring relief to Chelle, who faces the prospect of playing two decisive matches without some of his best players.
Source: Legit.ng
