PHOTO CREDIT: Punch Newspapers / AFP –
Osimhen Injury Worry As Iheanacho, Usor Push For Eagles Recall

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has been hit with a fresh injury scare after star striker Victor Osimhen limped off injured on Friday.

Osimhen, 27, was forced off in the 33rd minute of Galatasaray’s dramatic 3-2 Turkish Super Lig victory over Istanbul Basaksehir, just minutes after opening the scoring in the 16th minute. It was his 6th goal of the season, continuing his impressive form that included a winner against Goztepe and a brace against Corum.

Galatasaray eventually won the game through goals from Lucas Torreira (71′) and a late 90th-minute free-kick from Gabriel Sara, after Istanbul Basaksehir had twice come back through Eldor Shomurodov’s penalty and an own-goal by Davinson Sanchez.

The injury comes as a major concern for Chelle, who is preparing the Super Eagles for the opening games of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau on September 29, following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While Chelle waits on Osimhen’s scan results, two other forwards are making strong cases for a recall.

Kelechi Iheanacho, now at Bursaspor, scored twice in a 4-0 win over Istanbulspor on Thursday to take his tally to 6 goals and 2 assists in 5 league games. The 29-year-old has now contributed 8 goals in 5 matches this season.

Also pushing hard is LASK forward Moses Usor. The 24-year-old has 3 goals and 4 assists in 8 games in all competitions, including a goal and an assist in LASK’s stunning comeback win over Celtic (5-1 after extra-time) to reach the Champions League league phase after losing the first leg 3-0.

Usor’s ability to play on the wing and as a second striker gives Chelle extra options, though he faces competition from Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon.

With Osimhen now doubtful, Chelle may be forced to make a big call on whether to hand Iheanacho or Usor a return to the national team setup.
SOURCE: Punch Newspapers