Osimhen, Davido Sends Message of Support to Salah Ahead Crucial World Cup Tie
- Victor Osimhen backs Mohamed Salah with a heartfelt social media gesture before Egypt's World Cup clash
- Davido and several celebrities react after the Nigerian striker's post goes viral online
- Salah returns to Egypt's starting lineup despite recent injury concerns
Victor Osimhen has shown solidarity with Mohamed Salah ahead of Egypt's crucial FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Australia, with Afrobeats superstar Davido leading the reactions to the Nigerian striker's gesture on social media.
The Galatasaray forward attracted widespread attention just minutes before kick-off after sharing a photo of himself wearing Egypt's famous red jersey with Salah's name on the back, a move that quickly resonated with football fans across Africa.
Source: Instagram
Osimhen's post soon gathered thousands of reactions, with celebrities, entertainers and fellow football personalities praising the Super Eagles star for publicly backing one of the continent's greatest footballers before one of Egypt's biggest matches in recent history.
Osimhen backs Salah before World Cup showdown
As anticipation built ahead of the knockout encounter, Osimhen took to his Instagram account to post a photograph of himself dressed in Egypt's national team shirt bearing Salah's iconic name and number.
The image spread rapidly across social media, with many supporters describing it as a powerful show of unity between two of Africa's biggest football icons.
The gesture also highlighted the respect Osimhen has repeatedly shown for Salah, who remains one of the continent's most decorated players.
Within minutes, the post generated a flood of comments from fans and celebrities alike.
Davido, celebrities react
Among the first notable reactions came from Nigerian music superstar Davido, who hailed Osimhen with a simple but powerful message.
"The 🐐," Davido commented.
Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, using the account @eboue27e.official, responded with:
"👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿"
Popular comedian and singer @iamnasboi wrote:
"The man with plenty love to give."
Content creator @ogb_recent_ added:
"Biggest ❤️🙌"
Actor @jiganbabaoja reacted with:
"❤️❤️"
Media personality @lekan_kingkong also posted:
"❤️"
Comedian @therealsimcard threw support behind the Pharaohs, writing:
"We Are All Egyptians Today 🦾"
Osimhen's friend @asiwajulerry injected humour into the conversation:
"Come collect 2 balls for Snooker, winner takes Smallie 😂😂"
Filmmaker @boy_director simply commented:
"💎"
Rapper @jeriqthehussla joined Davido in describing Osimhen as:
"🐐"
The overwhelming response reflected the admiration many African fans have for the relationship between two of the continent's biggest football stars despite representing rival national teams.
CAF also posted:
Salah returns despite injury concerns
While Osimhen's tribute dominated social media, attention soon shifted to the team news from Egypt's camp.
The Liverpool captain had entered the match surrounded by fitness concerns after suffering a hamstring strain during Egypt's 1-1 draw against Iran.
Team doctor Mohamed Abou El-Ela confirmed the injury earlier in the week, while Salah also missed a full training session as he focused on rehabilitation.
Source: Getty Images
His availability had remained uncertain until shortly before kick-off.
Despite those concerns, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan included his captain in the starting lineup, deploying him just behind Omar Marmoush in attack.
Salah's presence came as a major boost for the Pharaohs after an impressive group-stage campaign.
According to the BBC, the 34-year-old had already scored in Egypt's 3-1 victory over New Zealand and played a vital creative role throughout the group phase, creating 11 chances for teammates, second only to Belgium's Leandro Trossard.
Egypt reached the knockout stage unbeaten after finishing second in Group G on goal difference, matching their best-ever run at the FIFA World Cup.
However, Australia represented a difficult obstacle.
The Socceroos progressed from Group D after finishing behind the United States and entered the contest with one of the tournament's strongest defensive records, conceding few high-quality chances throughout the group stage.
Although Egypt defeated Australia 3-0 in their most recent meeting in a 2010 friendly, per ESPN, history offered little advantage, with both sides entering the knockout fixture determined to secure a place in the Round of 16.
Agent lands in Madrid amid Osimhen links
Legit.ng previously reported that Victor Osimhen's future remains the subject of intense transfer speculation despite his impressive performances for Galatasaray.
Fresh reports claimed the Nigerian striker's representative, George Gardi, had travelled to Madrid for talks over a potential move to Atletico Madrid, further fuelling rumours surrounding the Super Eagles star's next destination.
Source: Legit.ng
