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Ghana’s all-time leading top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has finally responded to viral reports of him accusing Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen of faking injury during the Super Eagles' recent World Cup qualifying game against Rwanda.
Osimhen, who joined Turkish giants Galatasaray this summer in a record deal, left the pitch in the 35th minute of the game, sparking fears among Nigerian fans.
The former Napoli striker was later ruled out of Nigeria’s next match against South Africa, which ended 1-1 on Tuesday.
Later, Dailysports.net first reported that Gyan had accused Osimhen of exaggerating his injury during the match.
The report quoted Gyan as saying the following after the 26-year-old was ruled out of the crucial clash against Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein:
I know these tricks. Someone told Osimhen: ‘Look, we spent a lot of money on you. The Champions League is coming up, and we’re not thrilled about you flying off to Africa for this international break. But go, play a little, lie down on the pitch, and pretend it’s serious. The next day, you’ll already be back in Turkey. It’s just to avoid media noise.’
Victor Osimhen
Gyan allegedly went further, insisting Osimhen would be fully fit for Galatasaray’s next matches. The same report quoted him as stating:
Trust me, you’ll see him fresh and running at full speed in the Turkish league and the Champions League. No matter how many times he gets hit there, he won’t be lying on the ground. The doctors are in on it too. Euro is worth more than naira.
Asamoah Gyan
Gyan responds to viral reports
But Gyan has come out to deny these quotes attributed to him.
Responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gyan labelled the news as fake.
He commented on the social media platform:
This news is fake my brother.
Meanwhile, Osimhen, who’s currently monitored by Galatasaray medical staff, has not responded to these reports yet. The club confirmed that he suffered a “moderate sprain of the ankle ligaments (with stretching and bleeding)”
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The Turkish Super Lig giants will face Eyupspor away this Saturday at 2 PM, and it’s unlikely Osimhen will be fit to feature.