Osimhen’s absence: How Yira Sor & Gift Orban made Galatasaray sweat vs Amed SK

Victor Osimhen would have watched nervously as two fellow Nigerians came close to handing Galatasaray a painful defeat in their Turkish Süper Lig clash against Amed SK on Saturday.

Galatasaray survived a late scare to beat Amed SK 4-3 at RAMS Park, with Gift Orban and Yira Sor both finding the net after the visitors had fallen three goals behind.

Without the injured Osimhen, the Turkish champions looked comfortable at 3-0. However, Amed SK fought back through Dia Saba, Orban and Sor, forcing the hosts to defend their lead until the final whistle.

The result also brought an interesting twist to Nigeria’s international preparations, as all three forwards were left out of Éric Chelle’s 24-man squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.

Orban overtakes Osimhen’s goal tally

Osimhen was a major absentee after suffering a left knee injury during Galatasaray’s Champions League clash with VfB Stuttgart. The Nigeria international underwent arthroscopic surgery on Saturday and is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines.

His absence forced Okan Buruk to change his attacking options, with Rafael Leão leading the line alongside Aleksey Batrakov and Yunus Akgün.

Leão opened the scoring in the seventh minute, while an Alban Lafont own goal just before half-time doubled Galatasaray’s advantage.

Batrakov made it 3-0 in the 59th minute, but Amed SK refused to give up.

Dia Saba pulled one back three minutes later before Orban headed home from a Furkan Soyalp cross in the 65th minute.

It was the Nigerian striker’s 10th league goal of the season, putting him above Osimhen, who has nine, at the top of the Süper Lig scoring chart.

Orban has been one of Amed SK’s standout performers since joining on loan from Hoffenheim. He now has ten goals and four assists in 10 league appearances.

Barış Alper Yılmaz restored Galatasaray’s two-goal advantage in the 80th minute, but Amed SK were not finished.

Yira Sor delivers another scare

Sor came off the bench at half-time, replacing Mbaye Diagne, and gave Amed SK another attacking option with his pace and direct running.

The winger had missed almost two months with a muscle injury restricting him to just a handful of league appearances this season.

He made his mark in stoppage time, scoring in the 92nd minute to reduce the deficit to 4-3 and set up a tense finish. The goal was Sor’s first in four Süper Lig appearances this season. However, Galatasaray held on to claim all three points.

Despite their performances, neither forward made Chelle’s squad for the Tanzania qualifiers. Osimhen is also unavailable, although his omission was forced by injury.

Chelle has opted for Taiwo Awoniyi, Tolu Arokodare, and Moses Usor as Nigeria’s centre-forwards for the crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria currently trail Group L leaders Guinea-Bissau by three points.