Osimhen to Miss Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Against Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau as he continues his recovery from a muscle strain.

The Super Eagles confirmed the development in an X post on Sunday, saying the Galatasaray forward remains unavailable for the two fixtures.

The post reads, “Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau as he continues to recover from a muscle strain.

We wish Victor a speedy recovery.”

Osimhen was initially included in Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad despite his injury, with the coach and Galatasaray hoping he would recover in time for the international window. The striker’s name was included alongside Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and other established players in the squad announced on September 18.

However, his recovery has taken longer than expected, with his continued absence from Galatasaray’s league clash against Trabzonspor confirming that he would not be ready for the Super Eagles’ qualifiers.

Osimhen suffered the injury during Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir on September 4. He scored before being substituted in the 33rd minute. Galatasaray subsequently confirmed that medical examinations revealed a moderate-to-advanced strain with bleeding in his right adductor muscle group.

The 27-year-old had started the season strongly for Galatasaray, scoring six goals and providing two assists in his first four appearances before the injury.

Nigeria face Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau for the second qualifier on September 29.

Read Also: Osimhen Leads Galatasaray To 3-2 Victory Against Göztepe

His absence means Chelle will have to begin Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign without the striker who was initially named in his squad for the two matches.