Victor Osimhen ended his goal drought for Galatasaray with a brace in their 3-3 draw against Kasimpasa on Saturday, leaving the club’s fans ecstatic, The PUNCH reports.
The 25-year-old Nigerian striker, who has already provided four assists in his first three matches following his season-long loan from Napoli earlier this month, wowed fans with his outstanding performance.
Despite his impressive start in Istanbul, failing to score in his first three appearances left fans anxious. However, he silenced doubts with two goals early in Saturday’s match, earning him widespread praise from the Galatasaray faithful, despite the team’s inability to hold on to their 3-0 lead, allowing the visitors to secure a draw.
Fans took to social media to express their excitement after Osimhen opened the scoring in the 20th minute and doubled the lead eight minutes later. Mauro Icardi added a third before the end of the first half.
One fan, Ibrahim Bayhan, expressed concerns about losing Osimhen at the end of his loan in June, saying, “It’s going to be hard to leave you, king.” Another fan, Galatasaray Ruyaa, echoed the sentiment: “The situation seems to be getting out of hand.”
Senaa Syaamac urged the club to secure Osimhen permanently, saying, “Let’s raise money and buy this man, please.”
Yasin Cayir, moved by a photo of Osimhen celebrating with Icardi, commented, “A photo we’ll look back on and sigh about in years to come.” Batuhan Ozcan, proud of having a striker valued at €100 million, added, “Those who don’t have a striker worth €100 million can keep crying.”
The brace provided a sense of relief for Osimhen, who had previously played down his frustration over his inability to score in three matches. After assisting Yunus Akgün in their UEFA Europa League 3-1 win at RAMS Park, Istanbul, on Wednesday, Osimhen admitted, “Unfortunately, my goal was counted as an own goal again. My goal will come. The important thing is for Galatasaray to win.”
Head coach Orkan Buruk had downplayed concerns about Osimhen’s goal drought, emphasising the striker’s overall contributions: “Victor Osimhen’s play is very important. Not everything is about scoring goals. He fights hard during the game and suits us well as both a player and a person.”
Osimhen, who requested to be substituted in the 46th minute and was replaced by former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, has reassured fans that his injury is not serious:
“My injury is not serious! I felt a slight pain during the match and immediately informed Icardi and Coach Okan.”
His impressive form has sparked interest from clubs like Juventus and Chelsea, but Galatasaray is keen to retain the striker beyond his season-long loan. Club vice president Ibrahim Hatipoglu dismissed rumours of a potential January departure, stating, “There is no possibility of Osimhen leaving the team in January. We plan to keep him for next season as well.”
Hatipoglu added, “He will remain a Galatasaray player until June. He shows in every match how committed he is to the club. Players stay where they are happy. We should focus on how to keep him for future seasons rather than discussing his potential mid-season departure.”
