Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has responded to criticism of his recent performances, insisting that he remains confident in his abilities after scoring in Galatasaray's 4–2 victory over Lille in the UEFA Champions League.
The 27-year-old striker scored in the 61st minute of Wednesday's encounter at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in France, helping the Turkish champions secure their first victory of the 2026–27 Champions League league phase. His performance came amid scrutiny of his recent goalscoring form and conduct on the pitch.
Speaking after the match on October 21, 2026, Osimhen dismissed suggestions that his recent difficulties had affected his confidence, explaining that periods of poor form were part of professional football.
The former Napoli striker, who had faced criticism following a three-match goalscoring drought, maintained that he understood his responsibilities and did not need external criticism to determine how he should perform.
“I came from a place where I'm not scared of challenges. I face any team as I want to face them,” Osimhen said.
He added: “Nobody can tell me how to make these runs, how to play my ball, how to score my goals.”
Osimhen also defended his standing among the world's leading strikers, saying his experience and achievements had given him confidence in his approach to the game.
He acknowledged that matches did not always unfold as expected, either for individual players or their teams, but rejected suggestions that disappointing performances necessarily indicated nervousness or a loss of confidence.
The Nigerian forward further maintained that public criticism did not distract him from his responsibilities at Galatasaray.
According to him, people questioning his attitude and commitment did not fully understand his mentality or the demands he placed on himself.
Despite defending his individual abilities, Osimhen emphasised that the club's collective success remained more important than personal statistics.
“No, the club is bigger than any player,” he said, stressing the importance of teamwork and achieving results.
His remarks followed an eventful Champions League encounter against his former club Lille, where he played during the 2019–20 season before joining Napoli.
Galatasaray opened the scoring in the second minute through Yunus Akgün, but Lille responded five minutes later when Soriba Diaoune equalised.
Diaoune scored again in the 39th minute to put the French side ahead, before Aleksey Batrakov restored parity for Galatasaray shortly before half-time.
The Turkish champions regained the lead in the 52nd minute through Lucas Torreira, whose header from a corner put the visitors 3–2 ahead.
Osimhen then completed the scoring nine minutes later, finishing a counter-attacking move after receiving a pass from Barış Alper Yılmaz.
The goal was his first in this season's Champions League and ended his recent run without scoring.
Osimhen was subsequently named Player of the Match in recognition of his contribution to the victory.
His performance was particularly significant because it came against a club where he had previously established himself as one of Europe's promising young forwards.
After the match, the Nigerian international also expressed appreciation for Lille's supporters and praised the quality of the opposition.
He described the encounter as difficult, acknowledging that Galatasaray had been forced to recover after falling behind during the first half.
Osimhen said he was pleased that his teammates responded effectively and secured all three points.
The result provided an important boost for Galatasaray after defeats in their opening two Champions League fixtures.
It also strengthened Osimhen's confidence ahead of further domestic and European commitments.
Galatasaray are scheduled to face Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Süper Lig before hosting German side Stuttgart in their next Champions League match on November 3.
For Osimhen, the performance offered an opportunity to answer criticism through his contribution on the pitch.
Although he acknowledged that footballers inevitably experience difficult periods, the Nigerian striker maintained that his belief in his abilities remained unchanged.
His post-match message combined a defence of his individual qualities with an insistence that Galatasaray's success must remain the priority.
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