Victor Osimhen: 2 key problems Super Eagles striker must solve at Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen remains one of the most feared strikers in European football, but the Super Eagles star has two important issues to solve if he is to reach another level at Galatasaray, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian striker has already established himself as one of the most important players in Galatasaray’s modern history. Since arriving in Istanbul, Osimhen has helped the club win consecutive Turkish Super Lig titles and the Turkish Cup, while his goals have made him one of the most recognisable figures at the club.

His importance has only increased ahead of the 2026/27 season. Following Mauro Icardi’s departure, Galatasaray nominated him as one of the club’s captains.

That decision reflects how highly Okan Buruk and Galatasaray’s hierarchy regard the 27-year-old. However, it also places greater responsibility on Osimhen to control the emotional side of his game, particularly now that his behaviour can influence an entire dressing room.

Former Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim has now offered another reminder of that responsibility. While describing Osimhen as an extraordinary striker and one of the best No. 9s in the world, Terim warned that he must avoid unnecessary anger and stress.

Two problems Victor Osimhen must solve

1. Osimhen must learn to control his anger

This is perhaps, the clearest issue the striker needs to address. Osimhen plays with an extraordinary level of emotion. He presses aggressively, battles defenders, demands the ball and reacts strongly when he believes something has gone against him.

That mentality has helped make him the player he is, but it has also repeatedly placed him in situations where his emotions threaten to overshadow his football.

In June, former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju questioned whether Osimhen possessed the emotional control required to become Nigeria’s permanent captain.

“Leadership requires more than talent. A captain must possess playing quality, leadership ability, emotional control, and the capacity to represent and unite the team both on and off the pitch,” Adepoju said.

Adepoju specifically referred to Osimhen’s reported disagreement with Ademola Lookman during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and argued that the striker should have controlled his emotions.

That criticism became even more relevant when Galatasaray later appointed Osimhen captain.

Turkish journalist Bülent Timurlenk raised almost the same concern when discussing the decision. He argued that Osimhen’s body language and difficulty controlling his anger around referees, opponents, and sometimes teammates could prevent him from becoming an effective captain.

“While Osimhen wholeheartedly deserves the captaincy, his body language and inability to control his anger in his interactions with referees, opponents, and sometimes teammates, are obstacles to being a good captain,” Timurlenk told Sabah.

That is the balance Osimhen now has to find. Galatasaray did not give him the armband because they wanted him to become less passionate.

They recognised that passion as one of his biggest qualities, but being the team’s captain means knowing when to fight and when to walk away.

That distinction could become increasingly important in matches where Galatasaray face intense pressure in Turkey and Europe.

2. He must manage his frustration with teammates

Osimhen’s second problem is closely connected to the first, but it deserves to be considered separately.

The striker’s enormous standards can sometimes turn into frustration when he feels the players around him are not doing what he expects.

There is evidence of this from his time at Napoli, trickling down to his spell in Turkiye.

After Galatasaray’s 5-2 victory over Juventus in February, Noa Lang explained that Osimhen had been frustrated because he wanted more crosses into the penalty area. Lang, however, believed Galatasaray should have focused more on keeping possession after going a man up.

The disagreement was not presented as a major dressing-room problem. Instead, Lang described it as the kind of clash that can happen between two competitive players who both want to win.

But it revealed something important about Osimhen’s mentality: he does not simply want to participate in the game. He wants his teammates to match his intensity and give him the service he believes the team needs.

Osimhen later made his frustration clearer after another victory over Juventus, criticising aspects of Galatasaray’s performance and suggesting that some teammates had been too timid.

Okan Buruk subsequently defended his striker, describing him as a big character while also acknowledging the need for Galatasaray to create more opportunities for him.

That relationship between Osimhen and his teammates will become even more important now that he is captain.

A striker can afford to be demanding. A captain has to be demanding without alienating the players around him. That is a subtle difference.

Why this matters more now

Osimhen’s temperament would be easier to dismiss if he were simply another member of the Galatasaray squad.

It is harder to ignore now that he is the captain. The club’s decision was also a recognition of his enormous influence.

The question, therefore, is not whether Osimhen should become less emotional. His competitiveness is too valuable to remove.

Instead, he needs to become better at directing it, as well as the timing and the frequency.

Terim’s warning captures the challenge perfectly. The former Galatasaray manager did not question Osimhen’s quality. He described him as an extraordinary striker and one of the world’s best before urging him to avoid unnecessary anger and stress.

Osimhen’s fire is part of what makes him special, it is what has gotten him this far. The fire that burned in his heart from the streets of Olusosun to Chile where he burst onto the scene, is still the same, and is what has led him to become arguably Nigeria’s greatest-ever striker.

His next step as a player and leader may be learning how to ensure that the fire burns for Galatasaray rather than occasionally burning against him.

If he can control his reactions and channel his frustration more effectively, his captaincy could become more than an honorary role, but one that makes him more well-rounded as a footballer and as a human being.