Former Turkey international identifies Victor Osimhen’s biggest challenge at Galatasaray

According to a report by Daily Post on Tuesday November 10, 2026, former Turkish international Serkan Balci has identified what he believes is Victor Osimhen’s biggest problem at Galatasaray this season, insisting that the Nigerian striker’s main concern is not his physical condition but the difficulty of dealing with defeats.

Osimhen has established himself as an important player for the Turkish champions since joining the club permanently from Napoli, with his aggressive playing style, goalscoring ability and determination making him a key figure in their attacking setup.

However, Balci believes the 27-year-old’s biggest challenge is his inability to take losing matches lightly, explaining that the striker already gives everything physically whenever he steps onto the pitch.

Speaking about the Nigerian forward on Tivibu Spor, Balci suggested that Osimhen’s competitive mentality makes defeats particularly difficult for him.

“Osimhen’s biggest problem is losing games during the season,” Balci said, as quoted by Habersarikirmizi.

“Because he is playing at his maximum physical capacity.”

The former Turkish international’s assessment suggests that Osimhen’s commitment and desire to win are among the qualities that make him stand out at Galatasaray.

The Nigerian striker is renowned for his energetic approach to matches, regularly putting defenders under pressure, competing for aerial balls and making life difficult for opposition defenders.

His willingness to work hard for the team has also made him an important part of Galatasaray’s attacking structure.

The comments come at a time when the Super Eagles forward is dealing with an injury setback.

Osimhen sustained a knee injury during Galatasaray’s Champions League encounter against Stuttgart last week, raising concerns about his availability for the club’s subsequent fixtures.

The injury forced him to miss Galatasaray’s Turkish Super Lig meeting with Amed SK over the weekend.

Despite the Nigerian’s absence, Galatasaray managed to secure a 4-3 victory in an entertaining encounter, although his presence would have provided another attacking option for the team.

Osimhen’s importance to the club means his recovery will be closely monitored by the coaching staff and supporters.

The 27-year-old has become one of the major attacking figures at Galatasaray, and his ability to lead the line, occupy opposition defenders and create goalscoring opportunities makes him difficult to replace.

According to the report, Osimhen is expected to return to action after the international break, giving him additional time to recover from the knee problem.

Galatasaray will be hoping that the Nigerian international makes a full recovery before returning to competitive football, particularly with important domestic and European fixtures ahead.

Meanwhile, Balci’s remarks provide an interesting insight into the mentality of the former Napoli striker.

Osimhen is a player who approaches matches with considerable intensity and is rarely satisfied when his team fails to get the desired result.

His determination to win has been evident throughout his career, and it is one of the characteristics that have helped him earn recognition among Europe’s leading forwards.

For Galatasaray, having a player with such a competitive mentality is an important asset, although his current injury situation remains a concern.

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