Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen escaped a red card during the Ziraat Turkish Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, April 22, as Galatasaray suffered a 2-0 defeat to Genclerbirligi at Rams Stadium in Istanbul. The Nigerian international, who had been sidelined for 35 days with a fractured arm sustained against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, was introduced in the 78th minute as a substitute for Renato Nhaga.
Genclerbirligi stunned the defending champions, taking the lead in the 51st minute through Firatcan Uzum, assisted by Adama Traore. Five minutes after Osimhen's introduction, goalkeeper Gunay Guvenc failed to deal with a corner, allowing Traore to double the lead from close range. Guvenc was in tears at full-time after his error, but manager Okan Buruk defended him. Despite the defeat, Galatasaray remain top of the Turkish League with 71 points from 30 matches, leading Fenerbahce by four points.
Osimhen Confronts Referee
In stoppage time, Osimhen clashed with Ousmane Diabate while contesting an aerial ball, appearing to be struck by the opponent's shoulder. Referee Batuhan Kolak waved play on, sparking an angry reaction from the Nigerian forward, who charged aggressively towards the official. Osimhen was shown a yellow card in the 90+7 minute for dissent, with teammates intervening to calm him down.
The incident has drawn mixed reactions from fans. @Omolere23 commented: "Which kind attitude be this one. Complain pass ball wey he dey play sef lol." @Daddyboyy8 wrote: "Victor Osimhen is an actor, the guy on white didn't even touch his face, why exactly is he holding his face? And that's not a foul too. Victor Osimhen should focus on football and leave all this his drama." @happy_Favy added: "This is my problem with him. You will never see Alvarez or Harry Kane acting this way. Where was the elbow contact that he is acting all this drama for." @OTGwithBB said: "He can't be doing this in a league like Premier League. He needs to calm down a bit. It's passion but I think having his emotions under control will help him when/if he makes his big move to Spain or England." @TRAILBLAZE3364 wrote: "I had to watch it over and over again. The guy in white actually hit his jaw with his right shoulder. Yeah, Osimhen is full of drama but this I think really hits hard."
Okan Buruk Reacts
Legit.ng previously reported that Okan Buruk reacted after Galatasaray beat Genclerbirligi 2-1 despite Victor Osimhen missing due to injury. The manager applauded his team's performance but questioned the officiating, particularly for disallowing Leroy Sane's goal to make it 3-0.
