“Thank you to GQ. Of course, I can’t forget my family, Galatasaray,” he said. “ This means a great deal to me. I will do my best for my family, for Galatasaray, and for the fans.
“Thank you for this award, I am grateful.”
Last season, Osimhen was the top scorer of the Turkish Super Lig as Galatasaray won a record-extending 25th championship as well as Turkish Cup.
His latest honour adds to a growing list of accolades and further cements his status as one of Africa’s most prolific forwards.
Osimhen’s profile continues to rise as he shines on the European stage.
The NFF have paid a glowing tribute to William Troost-Ekong, who has quit the Super Eagles after a decade of distinguished service. Similarly, Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi have paid heartfelt tributes to Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong after the defender announced his retirement from international football, Soccernet.ng reports.
The NFF statement read in part: “Captain Troost-Ekong was a dedicated, selfless, and humble leader of the Super Eagles for so many years, having started his international journey in the year 2015. He served with gusto, zeal and patriotic fervour, and he bestrode the pitch with passion, pride, purpose and a commendable sense of duty. Even as just another member of the group, before he became the captain, Troost-Ekong was pleasant, disciplined, and ambitious, and he wore the green-and-white with so much joy, zest, and focus.”
Osimhen said of Troost-Ekong: “It’s been an honour sharing the pitch with you, skippo. Your guidance, humility, and professionalism pushed all of us to be better. Thank you for everything you’ve given to the team and Nigeria. Wishing you greatness ahead. You’ve earned it. Legend forever.”
Iwobi echoed the sentiment in an interview with SportyTV’s Kelechi, describing the retirement as an ’emotional moment’ inside the camp.
“Obviously, it is a sad one for us because he is a big part of our team. But at the end of the day I wish him well, he is a brother he has helped Nigeria and me,” Iwobi said.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored the crucial winner as Galatasaray survived a late fight back from Samsunspor to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory in their Super Lig clash on Friday.
Galatasaray came into the match looking to end a two-game winless run after a Champions League defeat to Union St.Gilloise and a draw with Fenerbahçe. Determined to end that run, they made a brilliant start with Leroy Sané opening the scoring in the eight minute.
Victor Osimhen then doubled the host’s lead in the 29th minute of the game, receiving a superb pass from Sané before finishing past Okan Kocuk, making it 2-0 and giving Galatasaray a comfortable lead going into half time.
Samsunspor started to dominate the game in the second half in search for a goal and they got rewarded in the 56th minute of the game when Anthony Musaba scored to reduce the deficit, making the scoreline 2-1.
Emre Kilinc then scored the equaliser in the 88th minute, curling in a brilliant ball from the edge of the box to beat goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. However, in the dying minutes, Osimhen scored with a brilliant bicycle kick, securing all three points for the hosts.
The result means that league leaders Galatasaray are up to 36 points in 15 games, increasing their gap over second-placed Fenerbahçe to four points. Meanwhile, Samsunspor remain fifth on the table with 25 points in the same number of games.
Osimhen’s brace means he has now scored 11 goals for Galatasaray this season. He now has five goals in the Super Lig to go with his six Champions League goals. For club and country, the 26-year-old has racked up 16 goals this season.
Right from the warm-up and before a ball was kicked in anger, Osimhen was in the thick of the protest by Galatasaray players when a Fenerbache player strayed into their own part of the pitch.
Osimhen was one of five players booked in this duel. He was cautioned in the 71st minute for unsportsmanlike conduct.
He was replaced a minute to full time by Galatasaray captain Mauro Icardi.
Galatasaray remain a point ahead of Fenerbache after 14 rounds of matches.
Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, in a new UEFA Champions League documentary, has offered unprecedented insight into his move to Galatasaray, his difficult childhood, the loss of his mother, and his rise to global football stardom. TAIWO ALIMI captures his words.
Victor Osimhen is clear about his ambitions in life, even as a boy, in spite of his difficult upbringing. Though he lost his mother at a tender age and his father also passed on in 2020, and his early is depended on struggling siblings, and hustle for food, he has risen to becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the world. He is on top of the cadre laden with honours, fame and cash.
He has also become the most talked-about player in the UEFA Champions League after netting six goals so far to top Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe
For Victor, a boy who grew up in downtown Olusosun, better known for its popular dumpsite in the populated Lagos, you don’t need to search too far to know where he learnt a life of ruggedness and resilience.
The boy from Olusosun
He said: “I came from a very poor background. I’m the last born of seven. I lost my mum at a very young age, and my father passed on in 2020. I lost my mother at a very young age. My brother called and said, ‘Mom fell asleep and never woke up again.’ When she left, it was really hard. Then my dad had to make sure he worked to feed us. I am grateful to God that I am where I am today. Before I rose to fame, my childhood was very tough.
“I came from a very poor background. Where I grew up is where the dream started to materialize. There was a dumpsite where I grew up. My friends and I would go there to look for shoes. If you found a right shoe of one brand and a left shoe of another, you put them together and used them the next day to play.”
“Before I rose to fame, before I became someone important in life, my childhood was really tough because, as a young lad, I had to try to live for myself, to try to help my siblings also in raising money at that time and to make sure that we all came together to help our father after his wife passed away.
“Olusosun shaped me to become the kind of person I am today, and, as much as I wouldn’t say it gave me so much, it actually taught me life lessons that have helped me through life’s journey. So, for me, it’s really an amazing place; that’s the reason why any time I’m in Nigeria, I always go there to show gratitude, to show to the young kids that if I could make it out of this place, I believe that you can.”
Osimhen said football became the lifeline for him and his family. He credited his childhood coach, Mr. Eric Kewe, for nurturing the raw talent that would later take him to Europe.
“We needed to do something. Football was the only escape for me and my family to get out of poverty.
“I was really young. We had this great man called Mr Eric Kewe, he assembled everyone. We called it Olusosun United. he is one of the people that used to encourage the boys. We were promoted from the youths to train with the big boys, and that shaped me.” Osimhen said that even during the darkest days of his childhood, he never doubted his ability or the destiny he felt ahead of him.
“Growing up, I didn’t have the privilege of a good life, but I believed so much in my talent, knowing that I was going to make it in one way or the other.”
A brother’s love
Osimhen also learnt hard work and hustling from his brother, who used to hawk sports papers on Lagos’ busy roads for a living.
“I saw the way my brother used to work because he sells sports newspapers. And if you sell sports newspapers in Nigeria, you can stay on the roadside, or you have your newspaper in your hand and you walk through the cars and hold up. He was the person who actually inspired me to hustle so hard.
“In the footballing aspect, it was Drogba because I saw him and I tried to model my game to his, and I tried to see how he plays, and how he’s living life outside of football. So, I have to be grateful for that man because for all I am now, I think I attribute some of my successes to him.
“He was the one that I actually picked to see the way he plays, to try to add some of his qualities, some of the things that he does that make him one of the most sought-after strikers in world football during his playing time. So, for me, it’s my brother in life, also, and then, in football, it’s Didier Drogba.
From Olusosun to Istanbul
From this humble background, Osimhen (26) has taken his talent to Europe and flourishing. His most recent transfer has landed him a permanent offer in Istanbul with Galatasaray, a move that is showing the best of the player.”
“I arrived in Istanbul and I have never seen anything like this in my life before. It was unbelievable that there were so many of them at the airport. Many of them were tracking flights, and everything. I think it was two or three o’clock in the morning. Many of them are fathers, many of them are husbands, and many of them are wives. They were supposed to be sleeping with their family, just relaxing at home, but they are outside for one person.
“After that, you will just have that fire in you to make sure that for every sweat you give, every run you make, you make it for the badge. I absolutely love this club and I’m ready to go through everything with them: the good, the bad and the ugly – but I hope more good than bad!
Champions League pledge
As Osimhen returns to the UEFA Champions League with Galatasaray next week, he said of his ambitions: “Now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games.”
After making his competition debut with Lille in 2019 and enjoying two further campaigns as he enhanced his reputation at Napoli, the Nigerian forward is now pouring in the goals for Galatasaray, whom he joined on a permanent basis in the summer after a successful season-long loan in 2024/25.
The Turkish champions are back at Europe’s top table after a season’s absence and flying high. With a 3-0 thrashing of Ajax on the Matchday 4 trip to Amsterdam, a pair of home victories has helped them bounce back from Matchday 1 disappointment, and Osimhen is front and centre with six goals in four matches.
“I spoke with the president when I arrived here, and we want to really make a statement in the Champions League. We want to show that, in Türkiye, we are the team that the whole world will know this year because we actually did something amazing in Europe.
“We’ve dominated the league for years. We will keep on dominating it, but now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games, Champions League games, because it’s beautiful when you play in the Champions League. So, for us, we want to make a statement.”
Napoli lessons
One would expect Osimhen not to speak kindly about Napoli, he acknowledged the good lesson learnt under the tutelage of coach Luciano Spalletti.
“Spalletti pushed the team toward greatness and ultimately to the Serie A title. It was amazing because in Napoli they breathe football. Spalletti used to remind us that if you try to bring glory to the city again, you don’t know what you have done. Bringing the trophy back to where it all started gave me a sense of fulfillment.”
With a Champions League golden boot race currently being led by the Nigerian forward, the striker insists he is far from finished.
“Where I see myself in the future is greatness, but I have to keep on working so hard, improving day by day, and I think for sure I will get there.”
He ended the documentary with one of the most heartfelt statements — a tribute to the woman who never got to witness the heights he would reach.
“The death of my mom still hurts me today. For everything she sacrificed, she wasn’t able to be alive to enjoy it.”
Galatasaray’s three-match winning streak in the Champions League came to an end in a 1-0 defeat in Istanbul to Union Saint-Gilloise, with Promise David netting the winning goal for the Belgian side.
The loss was the Turkish side’s first home defeat since August 2024, and they remain ninth in the standings on nine points while Union bounced back from three successive Champions League losses and are on six points in 18th place.
Galatasaray and Union are top of their respective domestic league standings, but came into Tuesday’s clash with contrasting Champions League form. The visitors, however, came away with a deserved win against a Turkish side missing their main goal threats.
All eight Galatasaray goals in the Champions League had come from two players, Victor Osimhen with six and Yunus Akgun with two, and with both out injured the hosts struggled to break down the visitors’ disciplined defence.
Both sides hit the woodwork in a scoreless opening half, Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara had a fierce effort from distance cannon back off the upright and Union defender Ross Sykes hit the crossbar with a header from a corner.
The only goal came in the 57th minute when Raul Florucz’s clever reverse pass found the run of Adem Zorgane and his pullback from the byline was side-footed into the net from the edge of the six-yard area by David.
Galatasaray piled on the pressure and Union cleared a Abdulkerim Bardakci header off the line before the hosts had Arda Unyay sent off late on for a second booking and the Belgian side held on to get their campaign back on track.
Galatasaray’s three-match winning streak in the Champions League came to an end in a 1-0 defeat in Istanbul to Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday, with Promise David netting the winning goal for the Belgian side.
Officials told SCORENigeria that a hamstring injury is suspected and out of precaution and in order not to aggravate the complaint, he was replaced for the second half by Jerome Akor.
His Turkish club Galatasaray will welcome Genclerbirligi in continuation of the Super Lig Saturday.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has reflected on the pressure and defining moments that shaped the extra-time heroics against Gabon on November 13, 2025 where his brace sent Nigeria into the inter-confederation playoffs.
In a post match interview following the dramatic 4-1 win, Osimhen addressed how he handles intense scrutiny, especially after missing two late chances in regulation time—moments that could have rattled many players.
Responding to a question on pressure, the forward explained that he channels expectations from fans, teammates, and himself into determination on the pitch.
“I am a professional player. I have been in the game for a long time. I don’t hide, I fight harder,” he said, affirming that pressure motivates rather than overwhelms him.
Osimhen also revealed that during the tense moments of the match, he urged his teammates to stay confident and push for a comeback.
“I told my teammates we’re not done yet. This is our moment,” he said.
His extra time brace, including a deflected equalizer turned winner, proved decisive, silencing criticism and keeping Nigeria’s World Cup hopes firmly alive.
Star African strikers Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Bryan Mbeumo of Cameroon want to grace the 2026 World Cup tournament, but only one of them can succeed.
Nigeria face Gabon and Cameroon meet the Democratic Republic of Congo today in Rabat in the semi-finals of an African play-offs series for the global showpiece.
The winners clash on Sunday, also in the Moroccan capital, with a place in inter-continental play-offs next March on the line.
Whoever represents Africa will be joined by two teams from Central America/Caribbean region plus Bolivia, New Caledonia and Iraq or UAE with two World Cup slots up for grabs.
Nigeria are firm favourites and Cameroon slight favourites to reach the final, and continue the fight to be among the 48 qualifiers for an expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
When a 10-round African qualifying competition ended last month, Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire , Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia secured qualification as group winners.
Now, the four best runners-up get a second chance, and Osimhen and Mbeumo could play key roles in deciding which country moves closer to giving Africa a 10th representative.
Osimhen scored a hat-trick against Benin in a 4-0 final-round win last month, which enabled Nigeria to pip Burkina Faso on goal difference for the final runners-up slot.
Switching to the Champions League, he notched another treble last week for Galatasaray at Ajax Amsterdam, and is the leading scorer in the competition with six goals.
“I love Victor. He is the best striker in the world,” says Eric Chelle, the Franco-Malian coach of the Super Eagles.
“It will be very difficult in Morocco,” said the tactician who boasts four wins and two draws in competitive matches since taking charge.
Although Gabon had the best record among the four runners-up with eight wins and a draw, they are ranked 36 places below Nigeria in the world and the least fancied of the four contenders.
But if Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, the last two African Player of the Year award winners, can form a formidable strike partnership, Gabon are also able to choose a dynamic duo.
Los Angeles-based Denis Bouanga is among 10 nominees for the 2025 African Player of the Year having scored eight times in World Cup qualifying.
Veteran Marseille goal poacher Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted seven times in qualifying and, at 36, knows this may be a last chance to feature at a World Cup.
“We have discovered many new players and the team now has a solid core. Gabon are capable of achieving great things,” says Bouanga.
Meanwhile, Mbeumo has scored four goals in his last four appearances for Manchester United, helping the Red Devils to a five-match unbeaten Premier League run.
The 26-year-old former Brentford striker was voted player of the month for October in the most watched domestic league in the world.
Belgium-born Cameroon coach Marc Brys hopes Mbeumo can transfer his predatory instincts from England to Morocco and steer the Indomitable Lions to the final.
Cameroon have qualified for the World Cup eight times – an African record – but finished four points behind shock qualifiers Cape Verde in Group D.
Needing maximum points from their final group match at home against Angola to have a chance of overtaking Cape Verde, they disappointed in a 0-0 stalemate.
Only six places in the world rankings separate Cameroon and DR Congo, who will lack injured Newcastle United winger Yoane Wissa.
The Congolese had looked set to be among the group winners before blowing a two-goal lead in a home loss to Senegal.
Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Week, beating Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen to the award.
Foden scored twice in City’s 4–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, helping his side secure a third win in the league phase.
Osimhen, who hit a hat-trick in Galatasaray’s 3–0 win over Ajax, finished second in the rankings. The Nigerian’s performance propelled the Turkish champions to their best-ever Champions League start.
Club Brugge’s Carlos Fobbs and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino finished third and fourth, respectively.
Incidentally, Osimhen’s hat-trick against Ajax has set a new Champions League for Galatasaray
The Nigerian ace striker becomes the first Galatasaray player to score a brace in back-to-back Champions League games
He is also the first Galatasaray player to bag three Man of the Match awards in three straight Champions League games.
He’s also the second Nigerian to score a hat-trick in the Champions League. The first was Yakubu Aiyegbeni in 2002.
Osimhen has now netted 15 goals in the UEFA Champions League.
He is now Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in UEFA club competitions with 25 goals — overtaking Obafemi Martins (23)
He is the leading scorer in this season’s Champions League with six goals, ahead of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Earling Haaland, who have scored five goals apiece.
Osimhen will now shift focus to international duty as Nigeria prepare to face Gabon in the CAF World Cup playoffs on November 13th .
