Victor Osimhen has undergone knee surgery after getting injured against Stuttgart, leaving Nigeria without their star striker for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of Nigeria’s decisive AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Tanzania after suffering a knee injury during Galatasaray’s Champions League win over Stuttgart.

The Super Eagles striker picked up the problem in Galatasaray’s 2-0 victory at Rams Park on Tuesday night. Galatasaray later confirmed that an MRI scan detected a loose fragment in his left knee, with the Nigeria international undergoing arthroscopic surgery.

Victor Osimhen picked up the injury in the UCL.

Osimhen had been seen complaining about the state of the Rams Park pitch during the game. Cameras captured the striker approaching the Galatasaray bench, while coach Okan Buruk also criticised the surface after the match, saying it made life difficult for both teams.

Footage has since emerged showing Osimhen slipping as he tried to launch a counter-attack. His foot appeared to get caught in the turf before he went down, sparking anger among Galatasaray supporters who blame the club for the condition of the pitch.

One furious fan wrote: “If you’ve shelled out 80 million euros in transfer fees and 20 million euros in wages for Victor Osimhen, and he’s getting injured because of this disgraceful pitch, yet you’re still sitting in that chair as the executive responsible for the stadium, then you’ve got a major character flaw.”

The fan added that the turf is replaced twice every season at a cost of around €1 million each time, while €3-4 million is spent every three seasons to renew the drainage system.

Another supporter demanded immediate action: “The moment Victor Osimhen’s knee buckled. First Baris Alper Yilmaz gets his foot caught in the ground and protests, then Osimhen. Whoever is responsible must resign immediately without wasting any time.”

Galatasaray have not confirmed that the pitch caused Osimhen’s injury. Reports in Turkey say there is no definitive finding linking the surface directly to the knee problem, although the club has launched work to address the pitch concerns.

The injury is a major blow for Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle ahead of the double-header against Tanzania. The Super Eagles host Tanzania on November 13 before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture on November 17.

Osimhen’s absence leaves Nigeria without their most reliable goalscorer at a crucial stage of qualifying, with Galatasaray yet to announce how long the striker will be sidelined.