Victor Osimhen fired a warning to Nigeria’s opponents in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers Rwanda and Zimbabwe by netting his fifth career hat-trick in Galatasaray’s 4-0 win over Antalyaspor at Rams Park on Friday evening.
He had previously scored two hat-tricks in the colours of Napoli against Sassuolo in 2022 and in 2024 – and while playing for the Super Eagles, Osimhen bagged a hat-trick against São Tomé and Principe over two legs in an 2022/23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on June 13, 2022 and September 10, 2023.
Osimhen delivered a stunning 52-minute hat-trick against Antalyaspor cementing his status as Turkish’s Super Lig leading goalscorer with 20 goals in 26 games overtaking former leader Krzysztof Piatek as the player with the most goals this season.
The treble took his tally to 26 with five assists in 30 games for Galatasaray since joining in September on a season loan deal from Napoli.
The 26-year-old opened scoring for Galatasaray when he met Alvaro Morata’s pinpoint far-post pass, slamming the ball home to give Galatasaray.
His second came courtesy of a brilliant delivery from Barış Alper Yilmaz down the right, which Osimhen dispatched with precision to make it 3-0.
He sealed his hat-trick in style, racing onto Yunus Akgün’s exquisite through ball before hammering a low shot past the goalkeeper, pushing the score to 4-0.
The win keeps Galatasaray on course to win a third straight Turkish league title. Galatasaray lead the log with 71 points from 27 games and are followed closely by Fenerbache who are 10 points adrift with two games in hand.
His remarkable form has not gone unnoticed, with several top European clubs reportedly monitoring his progress ahead of the summer transfer window.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are among the teams linked with a move for the 26-year-old striker, who continues to attract significant interest.
Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle will be hoping that the prolific forward maintains his scoring streak to help Nigeria secure vital victories and boost their chances of qualifying for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
With Osimhen in top form, both Galatasaray and Nigeria will be counting on his goal-scoring prowess in their upcoming fixtures.
