Several Super Eagles players delivered standout performances for their clubs in their final outings before linking up with the national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Victor Osimhen made his mark for Galatasaray as the Turkish champions cruised to a convincing 4–1 victory over Antalyaspor on Saturday, a performance that served as a strong statement ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON campaign in Morocco.
Galatasaray set the tone early in the match, taking control from kickoff. Leroy Sané broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, while Roland Sallai quickly added a second to put the hosts firmly in charge.
Osimhen grabbed the spotlight shortly after the hour mark. The Nigerian forward latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Yunus Akgün on the left, surged into the penalty area, and fired an unstoppable shot from a narrow angle to extend the lead to 3–0. Although Antalyaspor pulled one back late in the game, Mauro Icardi sealed the emphatic win after coming off the bench.
The result lifted Galatasaray to 39 points, keeping them top of the league standings.
In England, Nigeria’s Fulham contingent also impressed as the club handed Burnley a seventh consecutive Premier League defeat. Fulham took the lead when Harry Wilson’s low corner caused confusion in the Burnley defence, allowing Emile Smith Rowe to finish from close range.
Burnley briefly threatened a comeback through Lesley Ugochukwu, but Fulham restored their two-goal advantage when Calvin Bassey rose unchallenged to head home from Wilson’s delivery. Wilson later made it 3–1 with a composed finish after being set up by Samuel Chukwueze.
Oliver Sonne scored a late goal for Burnley, but it proved little more than consolation.
Bassey and Chukwueze completed the full 90 minutes, while Alex Iwobi was substituted in the closing stages for Sasa Lukic.
Following these club commitments, the Super Eagles players are set to join Nigeria’s AFCON training camp in Cairo, Egypt, which begins on Monday, December 15. The team will face Egypt in a friendly on Tuesday before travelling to Fez, Morocco, where all their Group C matches will take place.
Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania, with their tournament opener scheduled for December 23 against Tanzania.
