Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has left the Super Eagles camp in Morocco ahead of the third-place match against Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Saturday.
This follows Nigeria’s defeat to tournament hosts Morocco in the semi-final of the 2025 AFCON.
In the match played on Wednesday, the Atlas Lions defeated the Super Eagles 4–2 on penalties after the encounter ended goalless in regulation time and extra time.
According to camp sources, Osimhen left Morocco on Thursday for Turkey to receive treatment for the injury he sustained during the semi-final clash.
Osimhen was substituted towards the end of the match, in which he served as stand-in captain following the one-match suspension of Wilfred Ndidi.
It has become standard procedure for clubs to treat their injured players who are on national team assignments.
A camp source explained that since Osimhen is injured and will not feature in the third-place match, he decided to return early for treatment. The source added that clubs prefer to handle the treatment of their injured players because club doctors are more familiar with the players.
Another source revealed that head coach Eric Chelle is unlikely to field his entire first team against Egypt in the third-place match. Instead, the coach is expected to give other players on the bench the opportunity to showcase their talents.
The source recalled that during the group stage match against Uganda, which was not a must-win game, several players who had not featured in the earlier matches were given playing time. A similar approach is expected against Egypt.
The source also noted that countries generally do not place much emphasis on third-place matches, adding that if Nigeria had reached the final, it might have been worthwhile for Osimhen to remain with the team.
Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey will also miss the third-place match against Egypt after receiving two consecutive bookings during the tournament. Bassey, who put in a solid defensive performance against Morocco, picked up his second booking against the Atlas Lions.
Credit: Eagle online