Victor Osimhen Refuses to Captain Galatasaray
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen turned down the opportunity to captain Galatasaray during their 3-3 pre-season draw against French side Rennes at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex, RAMS Park on Sunday.
According to a report by The Sun Nigeria, Osimhen made his mark on the game by opening the scoring for the Turkish champions.
The Nigerian forward met Gabriel Sara’s well-delivered corner with a powerful header to give Galatasaray an early advantage.
The match also featured a notable moment involving the captain’s armband in the closing stages.
When regular captain Abdülkerim Bardakcı was substituted in the 74th minute, he handed the armband to Osimhen, signalling that the Nigerian should lead the team for the remainder of the contest.
However, Osimhen politely declined the gesture.
Instead of putting on the armband, he passed it to attacking midfielder Yunus Akgün, indicating that his teammate should take over the captaincy.
Akgün appeared surprised by the decision and attempted to convince Osimhen to accept the responsibility, but the Nigerian striker remained firm and insisted that Akgün wear the armband instead.
The incident comes after Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk disclosed that he intends to include Osimhen among the club’s captains for the upcoming season following the departure of Mauro Icardi.