‘I told Osimhen’ – Galatasaray boss reveals chat with Nigeria star before vital Juventus goal

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has opened up about the message he gave Victor Osimhen before the Nigerian striker scored the crucial goal against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Turkish champions reached the Round of 16 for the first time in 12 years after sealing a dramatic 7-5 aggregate victory over the Italian side.

Galatasaray entered the second leg in Turin with a strong 5-2 advantage from Istanbul and only needed to avoid a heavy defeat.

When the job is done and we get to see Osimhen playing 🟡🔴 pic.twitter.com/0qSra4tlpb

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 25, 2026

But the match suddenly became tense when Juventus won 3-0, despite playing the entire second half with ten men, forcing the tie into extra time.

During this difficult period, Osimhen showed frustration as he struggled to receive passes in dangerous areas, with several chances missed by teammates that could have ended the contest earlier.

Buruk’s message and Osimhen’s big moment

Buruk revealed that he spoke directly to the Nigeria international before extra time began, encouraging him to remain patient and ready for the decisive opportunity.

“At halftime, we talked about the need for more teamwork and confidence in the players,” the Galatasaray boss said after the encounter.

“Relying on long balls to protect the score and avoiding responsibility wasn’t the right approach. I was expecting a better performance in the second half, but the opposite happened.

“Despite this, I told Victor Osimhen to stay calm, that the opportunity would come. And indeed, that opportunity came, he scored, and became one of the players who changed the course of the match. He deserved it; I congratulated him.”

The chance finally arrived in the 106th minute when Baris Yilmaz played Osimhen through on goal, and the striker finished confidently to send Galatasaray through. Yilmaz later added another goal to confirm qualification.

Osimhen was named Man of the Match, his fourth award in this season’s competition, more than any other player.

The Super Eagles forward now has seven Champions League goals, trailing only Kylian Mbappe, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane.

He also became the highest-scoring foreign player in Galatasaray’s Champions League history.

Galatasaray will now wait to discover whether they face Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in Friday’s Round of 16 draw.