Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches after failing to recover in time from a muscle strain, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Galatasaray striker was initially included in Eric Chelle’s squad after both his club and the Super Eagles technical crew remained hopeful he would regain fitness ahead of the international window.
However, Osimhen was absent from Galatasaray’s meeting with Trabzonspor, confirming that he is not yet ready to return to competitive action.
A Super Eagles official explained that the striker’s recovery has taken longer than expected.
“Victor Osimhen’s recovery from a muscle strain has been slower than expected,” the official said.
“He was included in Nigeria’s squad for the AFCON qualifiers because Galatasaray and the Super Eagles technical crew were hopeful he would be fit for the Super Lig game against Trabzonspor and ready for the international window.
“But his absence from tonight’s match confirms Galatasaray’s correspondence to Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle that the striker is still recovering and will not be ready for Nigeria’s matches.”
Osimhen’s unavailability represents a major selection issue for Chelle as Nigeria begins its qualification campaign, with the striker having established himself as one of the team’s principal attacking outlets.
The Super Eagles coach will now have to assess the other forwards in his squad and determine how best to replace Osimhen in the attacking setup.
Why Osimhen Was Initially Included
The decision to name Osimhen in the original squad was based on the expectation that he could recover in time to feature for Galatasaray against Trabzonspor before reporting for international duty.
His rehabilitation from the muscle problem had been progressing. Still, his failure to make the squad for the Turkish club’s latest fixture has provided a clearer indication that he is not yet ready.
Nigeria’s technical team will now avoid rushing the striker back into action, with his recovery expected to remain the priority.
Nigeria’s AFCON Qualifying Campaign
The Super Eagles are set to begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar before facing Guinea-Bissau.
Nigeria are in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, who are among the co-hosts of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Chelle will therefore have to prepare his team for the opening qualifiers without his first-choice attacking option.
While Nigeria have several other forwards capable of playing centrally or from wider positions, Osimhen’s absence removes a proven source of goals from the squad.
For now, there is no indication that the injury is expected to keep the Galatasaray striker out for an extended period beyond the current international window, with Osimhen continuing his recovery from the muscle strain.