A Nigerian slap for Galatasaray: Osimhen protection request rejected before Salah clash

The exemption will not happen!

Galatasaray have suffered a painful blow. The Nigerian Football Federation rejected the Turkish club's official request to exempt injured striker Victor Osimhen from international duty, leaving the giants at risk of losing their star man for even longer.

Papara Park hosts a fiery clash in the sixth round of the Turkish Super Lig, with Trabzonspor welcoming traditional rivals Galatasaray in a game that offers no room for compromise.

Sitting ninth on 7 points, the hosts want to restore some balance in front of their own fans. Galatasaray arrive top of the table with a near-perfect record of 13 points, eager to widen the gap and pull clear at the summit early.

Turkish website "fanatik" revealed on Friday that Galatasaray had asked the Nigerian Federation to grant Osimhen complete rest during the upcoming international break. The striker has been out of action for two weeks through injury, and the club hoped a full break would leave him ready to go afterwards.

Osimhen picked up the injury in the 33rd minute of a thrilling 3-2 win over Basaksehir in the fourth round of the Turkish Super Lig. Doctors diagnosed a muscle strain and pain in his right thigh that would sideline him for two weeks, with doubt still hanging over his availability for tomorrow's decisive encounter against Trabzonspor.

Galatasaray appealed to the Nigerian Federation to keep Osimhen out of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, according to the Turkish website. The Nigerians, preparing for two crucial matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, flatly rejected the request.

That rejection leaves Galatasaray in a real predicament. Nigeria are clinging to their number one star even while he is injured, a stance that threatens to extend his absence and worsen the problem should he travel to feature with the Green Eagles.