Osimhen Has Successful Knee Surgery and Misses Nigeria Qualifiers Against Tanzania

Victor Osimhen had successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Saturday, Galatasaray said, and the striker will miss Nigeria's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Tanzania on November 13 and 17.

What Galatasaray said

Galatasaray announced on Friday, November 6 that Osimhen, 27, strained his left knee during the Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart. Galatasaray won that match 2-0, and Osimhen played the full match. The club said MRI examinations detected a loose body in the joint.

"In the UEFA Champions League match we played against VfB Stuttgart, our player Victor Osimhen sustained a strain in his left knee, and MRI examinations detected a loose body," the club said in its statement.

The club said the arthroscopic operation would be performed on Saturday at Maslak Acibadem Hospital by club doctor Yener Ince, and that Osimhen had been removed from the squad for Saturday's league match against Amed S.F.

A Galatasaray Acibadem health report carried on Saturday said Osimhen underwent a successful operation that day at Maslak Acibadem Hospital under Ince, and that his condition would be followed with daily evaluations by the club medical team. The club gave no recovery timetable in that report.

Return estimates conflict

One report put a date on the absence. Soccernet NG reported an expected absence of about three weeks, citing a TRT Spor report carried by Hurriyet, with the Champions League match against Aston Villa on November 24 named as a target for a return.

That estimate is not the club position. Galatasaray has set no return date, and Complete Sports and BusinessDay both reported that the length of his recovery remains unclear. Until the club issues its own timetable, the three week figure stays a reported estimate, not a confirmed return.

Osimhen has scored 10 goals with three assists in 11 appearances for Galatasaray this season, according to Soccernet NG.

Nigeria lose their main striker

Nigeria host Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, November 13, then travel to Dar es Salaam for the return match on November 17. Head coach Eric Chelle must now pick a forward line without the player his attack is built around.

Nigeria have three points from two Group L matches, behind Guinea-Bissau on six points, according to Soccernet NG. Tanzania have already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 tournament as one of the three co-hosts, alongside Kenya and Uganda, which leaves Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau competing for the remaining qualification place in the group, according to VivaSport reporting.

Osimhen has not featured for Nigeria since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final defeat to Morocco in Rabat, BusinessDay reported. He also missed Nigeria's opening two qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in September, after withdrawing with a muscle injury sustained during Galatasaray's 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir on September 4, according to VivaSport.

Behind Osimhen, reporting on Chelle's options lists Gift Orban, Tolu Arokodare, Terem Moffi and George Ilenikhena, with Kelechi Iheanacho making a late case after scoring five goals in October for Bursaspor, according to Soccernet NG, citing an Afrik-Foot rundown of the striker options published on November 5. The official squad for the Tanzania matches is still to come.