Former Ghanaian captain Asamoah Gyan has questioned the legitimacy of Victor Osimhen’s recent ankle injury that kept the Nigerian striker out of the Super Eagles’ crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying match against South Africa, which ended 1-1.

Osimhen had been officially sidelined with the injury during Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Rwanda.

However, Gyan, Ghana’s all-time top scorer, suggested in an interview that the injury may have been a tactic to preserve Osimhen for club duties in Europe.

“I know these tricks. They probably told Osimhen: the Champions League is coming up, we’ve made a massive investment in you. Go to Nigeria, play a bit, then fake an injury and come back quickly to Turkey,” Gyan said.

The comments highlight ongoing tension between African national teams and European clubs regarding the availability of top players for international fixtures.

Osimhen has had a measurable impact on Nigeria’s qualifying campaign. In the three matches in which he played, Nigeria recorded two wins and one draw. In the five matches without him, the Super Eagles recorded four draws and one defeat.