Sports

From Onyekuru To Osimhen: Meet 6 Nigerians Who Have Played For Galatasaray

Published

12 months ago

August 1, 2025

Victor Osimhen has completed his permanent switch from Napoli to Galatasaray, becoming the sixth Nigerian footballer to play for the club.

Osimhen spent last season on loan at the club after Napoli botched his permanent exit and helped them win the Turkish Super League and Ziraat Cup double.

He decided to continue in Turkey despite a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and interest from top European clubs.

As broadcast by Galatasaray TV, he arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday evening to a crowd of supporters who had been waiting to welcome him.

His haul of 37 goals and eight assists last season endeared him to the fans, and it was a delight for them to see him sign for the club permanently.

Legit looks at other Nigerian players who have featured for the Turkish champions, as noted by Transfermarkt.

Nigerians who have played for Galatasaray

1. Oghenekaro Etebo
Former Super Eagles midfielder played for the Lions in the 2020/21 season on loan from English club Stoke City. He featured in 29 games but failed to score nor did he assist, and returned to England at the end of the season. The 29-year-old currently plays for Gençlerbirliği in the second division of Turkish football.

2. Henry Onyekuru
Onyekuru played for Galatasaray in three spells, all of which came on separate loans. He joined on loan from Everton in the 2018/19 season, after which he was sold to AS Monaco. He returned to Galatasaray in January 2020 on loan until the end of the season and had another six months from January to June 2021.

He scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 72 games and won the league and cup double in 2019. He recently joined Etebo at TFF First League side Gençlerbirliği.

3. Jesse Sekidika
Port Harcourt-born winger Sekidika has spent the majority of his career in Turkey. He was on Galatasaray’s books for two seasons and featured in 12 games. He went on loan at Konyaspor, OH Leuven and Eyüpspor. He currently plays for the Azerbaijani club Sabah.

4. Valentine Ozornwafor
Ozornwafor joined Galatasaray from the Nigeria Premier Football League side Enyimba in 2019 and was signed at the club for three years. He went on loan at Almeria and Sporting Charleroi before signing for the latter permanently in 2022. He currently plays for Septemvri Sofia in Bulgaria.

5. Dominic Iorfa
Iorfa was the first Nigerian to play for Galatasaray in 1991 when he signed from Queens Park Rangers, but was sold to Peterborough seven months later. In his 16-year career, he played for 22 clubs, including seven clubs in 1998. He retired from Lobi Stars in 2000.

Super Falcons star Oluwatosin Demehin signed for Galatasaray women’s team last summer, weeks after Osimhen joined on a season-long loan.

Osimhen made a promise to Galatasaray fans
Legit reported that Osimhen promised Galatasaray fans that he and his teammates would fight to bring success to the club after joining permanently. Thousands of Galatasaray fans followed his flight live and welcomed him at the Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday evening ….ClickToReadMoreStories

Sports

World Cup 2026: Messi Pinpoints What Argentina Did Wrong Against Cape Verde

Published

1 week ago

July 4, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has pinpointed what his team did wrong against Cape Verde during both sides’ World Cup Round of 32 encounter.

The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes at the Miami Stadium, but Argentina went on to win 3-2 in extra time.

Diney Borges’ own goal ensured Lionel Scaloni’s side eliminated the Blue Sharks from the competition.

Speaking at his post-match interview after the game, Messi admitted that Argentina couldn’t press Cape Verde properly during the encounter.

According to him, Scaloni’s side was also disjointed against the African side, and their lines were far apart.

“I think we couldn’t press them well, our lines were kind of far apart at times,” Messi said via FIFA’s website.

“When we wanted to jump from the defensive pivot, it was too far a distance for the center-backs, and we ended up a bit disjointed.

“They always had an extra man because we couldn’t match up, and that’s why they kept the ball and made us run, because we couldn’t press them properly.”

Sports

‘We Dignify Our Country’ — Bubista Hails Cape Verde’s Historic World Cup Run

Published

1 week ago

July 4, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Cape Verde head coach Bubista has said they can be proud of their historic run at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Completesports.com reports.

The Blue Stars bowed out of the competition following a 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in Miami.

Blue Stars Put Up Brave Fight

Argentina took the lead twice in the keenly contested encounter and the West Africans answered both times, but with ten minutes to play in extra time a Lionel Messi corner led to an own goal from Diney Borges that sent La Albiceste into the Round of 16.

Messi opened the scoring shortly after the first hydration break, calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Vozinha after bringing down Lisandro Martinez’s precise pass over the top.

Cape Verde equalised in the 59th minute through Deroy Duarte.

Vozinha made several key saves, including blocking Messi from point blank range to send the game to extra time

It took the Albiceleste just two minutes of extra time to retake the lead. Lisandro Martinez collected a loose ball from a corner kick and lashed over Vozinha at the near post.

Cape Verde refused to surrender. Left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral produced one of the goals of the tournament, curling a sensational effort into the top corner from the edge of the box to draw Bubista’s side level for the second time in the contest.

Messi’s corner however caused an own goal that saw Argentina through to the last 16.

Bubista Thumbs Up Players

Bubista said Cape Verde, who were making their maiden World Cup appearance, had dignified themselves with their performances in the competition.

“We dignify what our country is. We drew twice against the world champions, we took it to extra time… More than anything, it’s being proud of our players who were dignified in the World Cup. We showed our identity,” Bubista was quoted by FIFA.com.

Sports

World Cup 2026: Ghana’s Performance Was Below Average —Gyan

Published

1 week ago

July 4, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has delivered a candid assessment of Ghana’s performance following the team’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia, describing the display as below the expected standard and insisting the South Americans fully deserved their victory.

Ghana’s hopes of advancing at the FIFA World Cup came to an end after Colombia capitalised on a first-half opportunity to secure the only goal of the match, sending the Black Stars out of the tournament.

Reacting to the outcome, Ghana’s all-time leading scorer said the Black Stars lacked the intensity and attacking determination required in a match of such importance.

“Today’s performance was below average, no sense of urgency,” Gyan was quoted by Ghana sport platform Joy Online.

Gyan expressed concern about Ghana’s inability to commit enough players forward, particularly after falling behind, noting that the Black Stars struggled to pose sustained attacking threats inside the Colombian penalty area.

“We (Ghana) did not have men in the box.”

Also Read:World Cup 2026: Semenyo Calls On Black Stars To Be More Aggressive With Referees After England Penalty Row

He contrasted Ghana’s approach with that of Colombia, saying the South Americans maintained their attacking intent even after taking the lead instead of merely defending their advantage.

“Colombia were ahead but kept fighting to score more.”

Summing up the contest, the former Sunderland and Al Ain striker conceded that Colombia were the better side on the day.

“To summarise everything, Colombia deserved the win.”

Gyan’s comments add to the growing post-match analysis following Ghana’s exit from the tournament, with several players and football analysts pointing to the team’s struggles in the attacking third despite signs of improvement in defensive organisation under newly appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz.