Galatasaray have confirmed that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has been called up by Nigeria for the opening fixtures of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The announcement comes as Osimhen continues his recovery from an injury suffered during Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir earlier this month. The Turkish champions confirmed that the Nigerian suffered a problem with his right adductor muscle and began treatment.
Nigeria are scheduled to begin their Group L campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later on September 29. CAF’s official fixture list confirms both matches as part of the opening two rounds of the qualifiers.
Turkish football journalist Ali Naci Küçük had earlier reported that Osimhen and Galatasaray teammate Rafael Leão had received invitations from their respective national teams.
“Victor Osimhen and Rafael Leão have been called up to their national teams.”
Osimhen remains an important part of Eric Chelle’s plans as Nigeria begins their pursuit of a place at the 2027 AFCON finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The striker has already made a strong start to the new season with Galatasaray, scoring in the club’s 3-2 win over Basaksehir before the injury forced him to undergo further medical examinations.
Chelle is expected to retain several familiar faces when he names his squad for the qualifiers, with the Super Eagles coach looking to make a positive start to the campaign.
Nigeria are in Group L alongside Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau, with the top-ranked team outside co-host Tanzania set to qualify from the group for the 2027 AFCON finals.