Victor Osimhen (L) has been accused by Asamoah Gyan (R) of feigning injury
Former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan has claimed that Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen feigned injury during Nigeria’s game against Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Victor Osimhen returned to Galatasaray after picking up a leg injury during the Super Eagles’ 1-0 win against Rwanda on September 6, 2025.
As a result, the 26-year-old did not feature in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Free State Stadium.
The Turkish club later released a statement, confirming that Osimhen had sustained an ankle ligament injury and would not be able to play for the national team.
Reacting to this, Gyan raised doubts about the authenticity of the injury, considering the circumstances under which it occurred.
He suggested that the former Napoli forward may have been influenced by club officials to feign injury in order to avoid the risk of a more serious problem especially with the Champions League set to resume soon.
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“I know these tricks. Someone said to Osimhen, ‘Look, we spent a lot of money on you. The Champions League is coming up. We don’t like you going to Africa, but go there and play a bit, then get injured, lie on the ground, and act like it’s serious. The next day you’ll be in Türkiye,’” Gyan was quoted by Habersarikirmizi as saying.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s World Cup qualification hopes are hanging by a thread, as they sit third in Group B with 11 points, six behind leaders South Africa with two games to end the qualifiers.
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Meanwhile, watch the post-match conferences of Otto Addo, Tom Saintfiet and highlights of Ghana vs Mali game
