Osimhen set for Gala return amid Turkish mosque rage

Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has confirmed that Nigeria international Victor Osimhen will return to action on Friday against Karagumruk as the Turkish mosque controversy surrounding the record signing continues to rage.

The Yellow and Reds manager defended his decision to omit Osimhen from the squad for Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Gaziantep, explaining that the striker needed more time to regain full fitness.

“Osimhen had a five or six-day training period,” Buruk stated, as reported by CNN Turk.

“Playing during that period could have been risky for him. I spoke to him about this, and he indicated he was considering resting for this match and aiming for some playing time in the next one.”

The 26-year-old forward, who joined the Istanbul giants from Napoli this summer in a record-breaking €75m deal, reported late for pre-season training due to the long-drawn negotiations for his transfer.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles star has found himself embroiled in an unexpected controversy just days after his arrival in Turkey. According to Fanatik, the Bulut Mosque in the central Karatay district of Konya, completed in 2008, was listed on Google Maps as ‘Victor Osimhen Mosque.’

The unexpected name change has prompted complaints from worshippers, who insist the original name should be restored

A member of the mosque congregation said, “We have been a congregation of Bulut Mosque since we have been here. We are against it being changed to Victor Osimhen. The name Victor Osimhen is a Christian name. As the mosque congregation, we want the authorities to look into this issue.”

Another congregant added, “On the internet, the location says the mosque is in Victor Osimhen’s name, but this has been the Bulut Mosque for 10 years. Everyone has known this place as such. He is not a football player from Konyaspor. He did no good for the mosque, and he’s not someone Konya will never forget. We don’t understand the relevance of this.”

Zeki Yaylacı, another member of the community, described the situation as offensive, saying, “It’s a shame to name a non-Muslim and make a mockery of it. We consider it an insult to Muslims, the mosque community, and mosques themselves. We urge the authorities to introduce regulations to prevent such changes from being made so easily.”

There is no suggestion Osimhen was aware of or involved in the change. It appears to be the result of incorrect user edits on Google Maps, which the authorities are now being urged to rectify.

The Nigerian striker, who spent the previous season on loan at Galatasaray, where he scored 37 goals and provided eight assists in 41 appearances, has since returned to full training and is working towards his highly anticipated debut. His contract reportedly places him amongst the highest-paid players in Europe, making him instantly the biggest signing in Turkish football history.