Asamoah Gyan suggests Victor Osimhen’s injury in World Cup qualifiers may have been orchestrated

Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign took another twist on Tuesday as the Super Eagles were held to a draw by South Africa, with injured striker Victor Osimhen absent from the line-up.

Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has cast doubt on the nature of Osimhen’s injury, suggesting it may have been deliberately exaggerated.

The 26-year-old forward, who joined Galatasaray on loan this season before the club exercised an option to buy, has been nursing an ankle problem.

He left Nigeria’s match against Rwanda on Matchday 7 of the qualifiers in the 35th minute, later returning to his club where medical staff confirmed the injury.

Gyan, however, believes there is more to the story. Speaking after Nigeria’s stalemate with Bafana Bafana, the former Black Stars striker hinted that Galatasaray may have instructed their star forward to limit his involvement in international fixtures ahead of the Champions League campaign.

“I know how these things work,” Gyan said. “It could be that Galatasaray told Osimhen: the Champions League is coming and we’ve invested a lot in you.

Go and represent your country, but don’t overdo it. Play a little, then come off injured and return to Turkey.”

The remarks from Gyan have stirred debate across African football circles, raising questions about the balance between club and country commitments.

For many Nigerian fans, Osimhen’s absence was a significant setback, with the Super Eagles struggling to find rhythm without their talismanic striker.

Osimhen, who has already made an impressive start to life in Turkey with goals in the Süper Lig, is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most important attacking weapon.

His forced withdrawal in Kigali against Rwanda left Nigeria short of firepower, and the timing of his return to Istanbul has added to the speculation.

This incident has also reignited the broader discussion about the tug-of-war between European clubs and African national teams over player availability. Clubs competing in major tournaments such as the Champions League often prefer to shield their key assets from injury risks during international duty.

For national sides, however, such absences can prove costly in crucial qualification fixtures.

Nigeria’s draw against South Africa leaves their World Cup qualification hopes finely balanced, with the Super Eagles under pressure to deliver in the remaining matches.

While Osimhen’s injury has been confirmed by medical staff, Gyan’s comments have cast a shadow of doubt over the circumstances.

For now, the focus in Nigeria remains on whether Osimhen will recover in time to feature in Galatasaray’s European campaign, while supporters of the Super Eagles anxiously await his return to full fitness for their next qualifiers.

At the same time, Gyan’s pointed remarks highlight the lingering distrust that often surrounds club-versus-country disputes in African football — an issue that continues to test the unity between players, their national federations, and their employers abroad.