Football: Galatasaray sweat over Victor Osimhen fitness after star striker suffers injury while playing for Nigeria
Osimhen racing time to feature in the Intercontinental Derby
Galatasaray were dealt a major blow in the past week, with their star striker Victor Osimhen sustaining an injury during Nigeria’s defeat to DR Congo last Sunday, which confirmed their elimination from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
The Super Eagles’ striker was forced off the field early in Rabat, and upon returning to Istanbul on Wednesday, underwent an MRI scan at his club’s sponsor hospital that revealed he had injured a muscle in his left thigh. The official statement from Gala read:
“In the MRI scans performed today at our sponsor hospital Acibadem, our football player Victor Osimhen was found to have a moderate strain (strain and bleeding) in the left posterior muscle, and his treatment has begun.”
While Osimhen has tried to calm concerns among Cimbom fans by revealing to the media that “My condition is not very serious,” injuries of this nature typically have a recovery timeline of between two and six weeks.
The 26-year-old has been in sensational form since arriving from Napoli in the summer, scoring nine goals in 12 matches in all competitions. It is understood that he will miss this weekend’s league fixture against Genclerbirligi, for which you can find all the insights via our football predictions.
Beyond this weekend, the greater concern for Okan Buruk will be the impact Osimhen’s absence will have on the Super Lig title race, with his side just one point clear at the top of the standings, and set to face second-placed Fenerbahce in the Intercontinental Derby on December 1.
DR Congo learn opponents for Intercontinental Playoffs
After defeating Nigeria in the CAF Playoff final, DR Congo secured their place in the 2026 Intercontinental Playoffs, and have now learnt the five other teams that will contest for the single qualification spot for the World Cup. See the table below:
| Nation | Confederation | Qualified via | FIFA rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | AFC | AFC playoff winner | 57 |
| DR Congo | CAF | CAF playoff winner | 60 |
| Jamaica | CONCACAF | Highest-ranking group runner-up | 68 |
| Suriname | CONCACAF | Second-highest-ranking group runner-up | 126 |
| Bolivia | CONMEBOL | Seventh-place finisher | 76 |
| New Caledonia | OFC | Qualifying tournament runner-up | 150 |
In the UEFA Playoffs, 12 teams that finished as group runners-up will be joined by four qualifiers from the Nations League. Both the UEFA and Intercontinental Playoffs will be contested during the March international window - the draw for these matches will take place this evening.
