Victor Osimhen hits back at Fenerbahçe over arm protector row after Galatasaray victory

Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen marked his return to league action with a goal on Sunday, helping his side secure to an impressive 3-0 win over Fenerbahçe, Afrik-Foot reports.

However, much of the pre-match talk had centered on Fenerbahçe’s complaint about his arm protector. The Yellow Canaries had written to the Turkish Football Federation ahead of the match, asking officials to carry out their investigations over safety concerns.

The Nigerian forward had been wearing the protection after returning from injury, having suffered an arm issue during Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg defeat to Liverpool, which sidelined him for several matches.

While the complaints were dismissed, Osimhen and Galatasaray delivered the perfect response on the pitch and produced a superb performance to beat their rivals, as they moved closer to a fourth consecutive Turkish Super Lig title.

The visitors missed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Anderson Talisca failed to convert from the penalty spot. Galatasaray capitalized in the 40th minute, as Osimhen latched onto a flick-on from Mario Lemina following a long throw and improvised brilliantly to score the opener.

Galatasaray thought they had doubled their lead in the second half through Lucas Torreira, but the goal was ruled out by VAR. However, they were soon handed a penalty, with Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson also sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Barış Alper Yılmaz calmly converted the spot-kick after he was handed the ball by Osimhen.

Torreira later got his goal as Galatasaray sealed a commanding win, opening up a seven-point lead over Fenerbahçe with just three games remaining.

Osimhen responds to Fenerbahçe ‘arm protector’ complaints

Victor Osimhen marked his return to Turkish league action with a goal in one of the biggest matches of the season, once again underlining his importance to Galatasaray.

Speaking after the match, the Super Eagles forward did not hold back in his comments and hit out at Fenerbahçe over their complaints, labelling them unnecessary.

“I can’t understand Fenerbahçe. They complained about the protector on my arm before the match against the league’s best team. It didn’t seem very logical to me. But I came, did my job, and delivered my message in the best way possible,” Osimhen said post-match.

The 27-year-old also applauded his teammates contributions and their role in the big win over their title rivals.

“Scoring goals is my job. I think I’m doing this job well. The team needs to be congratulated. I can say that we’ve come much closer to becoming champions”, the Super Eagles forward added.

Galatasaray are now on the brink of winning the league title, holding a healthy lead over their nearest challengers with only three games left. 

Attention now shifts to Saturday’s clash against Samsunspor, where a win could seal their fourth consecutive league crown.