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A former Fenerbahce forward, Bülent Uygun, has raised concerns regarding the form of Super Eagles attacker, Victor Osimhen, amid the player’s goal draught.

According Uygun, the attacker has not yet completely recovered his competitive edge following his recent injury.

The Nigeria international sustained a groin strain during Galatasaray’s 3-2 triumph against İstanbul Başakşehir in September, which resulted in his absence from three consecutive matches across all competitions .

Osimhen was also unavailable for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, qualifying matches against Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar, despite having been initially selected for the squad.

He made his return to competitive action in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Kasımpaşa after the international break, delivering an assist that contributed to the Turkish champions’ success.

Osimhen was however toothless against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, thereby intensifying concerns about his physical readiness after his injury layoff.

Speaking to Tivibu Spor, as reported by Habersarikirmizi, Uygun attributed Osimhen’s diminished performance to his determination to produce immediate results following his recuperation, combined with insufficient physical coordination.

“Osimhen operates within a specific tactical framework designed around his capabilities,” Uygun stated.

“His determination to accomplish much following his injury, in togetherwith his body’s insufficient coordination, and his inclination to express frustration toward his teammates over errors, including those of his own making, demonstrates he remains unprepared.

Uygun reiterated that the forward’s recent injury constitutes a significant contributor to his current performance decline, proposing that he requires additional time to achieve complete recovery.

“Even in the chances he got, he struggled to maintain his footwork in 4-5 steps. He’s just returned from a serious injury, which is causing him to remain out of form,” he concluded.

Turkey: ‘Why Osimhen is struggling’ – Ex-Fenerbahce star, Uygun

Akwa United head coach, Paul Offor, says they will make up for their home draw against Godswill Akpabio FC when they confront Sporting Lagos.

The Promise Keepers settled for a 0-0 against Godswill Akpabio FC in their last home game in Uyo last weekend.

Akwa United will square up with Sporting Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan Lagos on Wednesday.

Offor said they will give their best in the game.

“We have to put this game behind us and focus on Wednesday’s match against Sporting Lagos,” Offor told Akwa United’s media.

“We hope to go there, give our best, and recover the points we dropped at home.”

DAILY POST reports that Offor will be facing his former club for the first time since his disengagement by the Lagos-based side.

NNL: Offor targets Akwa United’s win over Sporting Lagos

Nigeria are in second place in Group L, despite their 2-1 win over Madagascar in their first 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Friday.

The Super Eagles fought back from an early goal to take maximum points. 

But it was not enough for the three-time African champions to go top of the group. 

This is due to Guinea-Bissau’s 2-0 win over Tanzania.

Franculino Djú opened the scoring for Guinea-Bissau in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé added the second goal in the 58th minute to seal the away win.

Nigeria’s next game will be away to Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, as they wrestle for early leadership in the group. 

AFCON 2027Q: Super Eagles in second place behind Guinea-Bissau despite Madagascar win