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 Meet 5 Nigerian footballers who have played for Galatasaray before Victor Osimhen

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Osimhen scores again as Galatasaray beat Rizespor 3-1

Victor Osimhen has completed his permanent switch from Napoli to Galatasaray, becoming the sixth Nigerian footballer to play for the club.

Osimhen spent last season on loan at the club after Napoli botched his permanent exit and helped them win the Turkish Super League and Ziraat Cup double.

He decided to continue in Turkey despite a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and interest from top European clubs.

As broadcast by Galatasaray TV, he arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday evening to a crowd of supporters who had been waiting to welcome him.

His haul of 37 goals and eight assists last season endeared him to the fans, and it was a delight for them to see him sign for the club permanently.

Legit.ng looks at other Nigerian players who have featured for the Turkish champions, as noted by Transfermarkt.

Nigerians who have played for Galatasaray 

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1. Oghenekaro Etebo

Former Super Eagles midfielder played for the Lions in the 2020/21 season on loan from English club Stoke City. He featured in 29 games but failed to score nor did he assist, and returned to England at the end of the season. The 29-year-old currently plays for Gençlerbirliği in the second division of Turkish football.

2. Henry Onyekuru

Onyekuru played for Galatasaray in three spells, all of which came on separate loans. He joined on loan from Everton in the 2018/19 season, after which he was sold to AS Monaco. He returned to Galatasaray in January 2020 on loan until the end of the season and had another six months from January to June 2021.

He scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 72 games and won the league and cup double in 2019. He recently joined Etebo at TFF First League side Gençlerbirliği.

3. Jesse Sekidika

Port Harcourt-born winger Sekidika has spent the majority of his career in Turkey. He was on Galatasaray’s books for two seasons and featured in 12 games. He went on loan at Konyaspor, OH Leuven and Eyüpspor. He currently plays for the Azerbaijani club Sabah.

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4. Valentine Ozornwafor

Ozornwafor joined Galatasaray from the Nigeria Premier Football League side Enyimba in 2019 and was signed at the club for three years. He went on loan at Almeria and Sporting Charleroi before signing for the latter permanently in 2022. He currently plays for Septemvri Sofia in Bulgaria.

5. Dominic Iorfa

Iorfa was the first Nigerian to play for Galatasaray in 1991 when he signed from Queens Park Rangers, but was sold to Peterborough seven months later. In his 16-year career, he played for 22 clubs, including seven clubs in 1998. He retired from Lobi Stars in 2000.

Super Falcons star Oluwatosin Demehin signed for Galatasaray women’s team last summer, weeks after Osimhen joined on a season-long loan.

Osimhen made a promise to Galatasaray fans

Legit.ng reported that Osimhen promised Galatasaray fans that he and his teammates would fight to bring success to the club after joining permanently. Thousands of Galatasaray fans followed his flight live and welcomed him at the Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.

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BREAKING: 5 Sure Betting Odds To Win Today (SEE TEAMS TO PLAY)

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As the UEFA Champions League season intensifies, elite football clubs are fiercely competing for the coveted trophy.

Recent matches have been filled with surprising upsets that have left fans astonished and speculating about future outcomes. Football enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy betting on games, are closely analyzing the most promising fixtures.

 

Our team of football analysts has meticulously identified several matchups that present excellent wagering opportunities for today’s Champions League games.

With insights drawn from team form, player conditions, and historical performance, we aim to provide valuable recommendations that betting fans will find hard to resist.

See teams below 👇

Arsenal VS Olympiacos = Home Win
Barcelona VS PSG = Home Win Or Draw, 1x
Bayern Leverkusen VS PSV = Over 1.5
Dortmund VS Atletic Bilbao = Home Win
Napoli VS Sporting = Over 2.5 Yellow Card
Villarreal VS Juventus = Over 2.5 Yellow Card
Union Gilloise VS Newcastle United = Over 7.5 Corners

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Mbappe Makes Fresh History As Real Madrid Beats Kairat 5-0

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Real Madrid emphatically defeated Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Despite being huge underdogs, Kairat Almaty almost took a shocking lead inside the first 15 seconds of the match.

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe made more UEFA Champions League history on Tuesday, using a hat trick to become just the seventh player in tournament history to score 60 goals.

The 26-year-old Mbappe joins Ruud van Nistelrooy on 60 goals and trails only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, and Raul.

The most successful team in the history of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, made a rare trip to southeastern Kazakhstan for the win, as Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz also scored in the win.

Real improve to 2-0-0 with a plus-6 goal differential as they bid to cruise through this season’s league phase. Kairat fall to 0-0-2 with a minus-8 goal differential.

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Mourinho: How Avram Grant Destroyed Chelsea – New Details On Why Special One QUIT Stamford Bridge Emerges

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Chelsea’s former chief executive Peter Kenyon has opened up on Jose Mourinho’s first departure from Stamford Bridge amid the club’s period of unprecedented success – as ‘the Special One’ prepares to return to west London.

Mourinho was appointed on the heels of Roman Abramovich’s takeover of the Premier League side in 2003, joining the following summer from Champions League winners Porto.

The Portuguese head coach immediately made an impact in the English media with his introductory press conference, referring to himself as ‘a top manager’ and ‘a special one’ – gifting journalists his new moniker.

Mourinho quickly proved his worth, securing back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2006-07, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup.

But ahead of his third season in the capital, relations began to sour within the club’s hierarchy – with Mourinho taking particular issue with the appointment of Avram Grant as a director at Chelsea.

In a new interview with Telegraph Sport, Kenyon admitted that Grant’s move into the tight-knit set-up was a ‘problem’, and even dubbed it ‘a mistake’ in light of events that followed.

‘Jose used to describe us as a “Holy Trinity”, Roman, him and myself, and we sat down, we discussed things and we got it done,’ Kenyon explained. ‘Each one of us knew our place.

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‘You introduce a third party and that changes the dynamic. And that exacerbated this distance that had started between Roman and him, and the outcome – because of what he is – that just made it more and more uncomfortable for everybody.’

Discussing how Mourinho had come to leave the club in September 2007, Kenyon shared that the decision had been made so quickly, it almost caught him off-guard.

The trio had been preparing to attend a premiere for behind-the-scenes film about the club, with Kenyon and Mourinho set to meet at health club near Stamford Bridge beforehand.

‘I was there early and Jose came in and said straight away “Pete, can you get me out?” I said “it’s a three-line whip, everybody’s going”, and he said “no, out the club”,’ Kenyon recalled.

“We had a chat about it and it was quite obvious that he wanted to go there and then. Now, I also knew the other side and Roman wanted him to go, we’d reached that point. So I said “go to the film premiere, come back here and I will have sorted it all by then”. Which we did.

‘He went to the film premiere and he came back and I said “it’s all sorted, that’s the deal”. It was honouring everything we had talked about. That side of it got dealt with easily.’

Grant later stepped in as the new manager in Mourinho’s place, but Kenyon revealed that the players had been far from happy about the changing of the guard.

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‘That was one of the hardest conversations I’ve had,’ Kenyon continued. ‘Telling the players that a) Jose’s gone and b) that Avram’s taking over.

‘I don’t think I’ve seen as many football stars go ashen all at the same time. They were dumbstruck. There were two people in tears, people you wouldn’t think were capable of crying. There was a general feeling like we’d popped a balloon.

‘It disrupted us for a period. It didn’t stop us because the team kept going. We got to the Champions League final and that was about the team, not Avram. I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I’m being honest. I’m really confident that had Jose been there, we’d have won the Champions League final in 2008.’

Mourinho would later return to Chelsea for a second stint in 2013, winning another Premier League title the following season, and one more League Cup.

As such, the 62-year-old remains a venerated figure at Stamford Bridge, despite his move to rivals including Real Madrid and Manchester United – and his second exit.

But Blues fans are unlikely to hope he has a happy return to west London with his new club Benfica, with the hosts keen to restart their Champions League campaign after a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in their opening tie.

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SAD Day In South Africa as FIFA Removes Three Points From Bafana Bafana

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Tension and distress have risen among football fans across South Africa following a significant decision made by the sport’s governing body regarding their hopes of participating in the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has faced criticism for neglecting complaints after South Africa fielded an ineligible player during World Cup qualifiers. Click link to continue reading.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for its violation, specifically for playing Teboho Mokoena in a match against Lesotho on March 21, 2025, as part of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ preliminary competition.

This breach violates Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations.

As a result, FIFA has declared that South Africa forfeits the match, with a final score of 3-0 in favor of Lesotho. Additionally, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, and Teboho Mokoena has received a warning.
All parties involved have been informed of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision.

According to the relevant provisions of the Disciplinary Code, they have ten days to request a motivated decision. If such a request is made, the decision will be published on legal.fifa.com. The forfeiture decision is also subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.

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BREAKING: Man United Sack Ruben Amorim? Fact Emerges

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Tension is mounting at Manchester United’s Old Trafford following a disappointing performance by the team over the weekend.

The Red Devils find themselves in 14th place in the Premier League standings, indicating the possibility of another challenging season for their supporters. Click link to continue reading.

Their most recent defeat came against Brentford, a side that has also faced difficulties this season. As a result, there is increasing pressure on manager Amorim to turn the team’s fortunes around.

Amorim is under pressure after a disappointing start to the season, and Fabrizio Romano, writing in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT newsletter, has suggested that he’s not 100% safe for now, with the Manchester club considering the whole situation.

Amorim arrived during the 2024/2025 campaign, and he was given time to turn things around, with INEOS patiently waiting for the Portuguese coach to have a full pre-season and transfer window. Unfortunately for them, he’s not delivered so far this season, but it’s still early days, and they’ll be hoping he can eventually get a tune out of his squad.

Writing in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano has confirmed that there and no movements in terms of relieving Amorim of his duties, but he’s not 100% safe for now. The respected journalist says that the club is considering the whole situation, but there is nothing concrete as it stands…

“No movements on that now. We will see in the next weeks but nothing concrete into it now. For sure, he’s not 100% safe and the club is considering the whole situation.”

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BBC reporter Simon Stone recently confirmed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is backing Amorim to turn things around as it stands, but it will be interesting to see what happens if the poor results continue. An international break is just around the corner, which is usually an ideal time to change the manager, and the Red Devils face Premier League champions Liverpool in a few weeks time.

United’s next game is a home fixture against newly promoted Sunderland at Old Trafford, who have impressed in the early stages of the campaign. After the international break, they take the short trip to Liverpool, before hosting Brighton to finish off October.

Whether Amorim will last that long remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he needs to start producing results, with fans already growing frustrated with their disappointing performances during his tenure.

 

 

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Counterfeit Kickoff: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting FIFA 2026 Before the First Whistle

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A Check Point Research report reveals the early infrastructure behind a global fraud campaign targeting the world’s most-watched sporting event

As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, threat actors are already on the field, building digital infrastructure designed to exploit fan excitement, disrupt ticketing, and siphon revenue from one of the world’s largest sporting events.

New research from Check Point Research, the threat intelligence arm of Check Point® Software Technologies, reveals a coordinated campaign to establish thousands of fake domains, botnets, and phishing tools, all masquerading as legitimate FIFA and host city assets.

This isn’t speculation. The campaign has already begun.

The Early Play: Fraud Infrastructure in Motion

Since August 1, 2025, Check Point has identified more than 4,300 newly registered domains spoofing FIFA, “World Cup,” or tournament host cities like Dallas, Miami, Toronto, and Mexico City. These registrations are not organic, they come in synchronised waves, often using identical DNS infrastructure, and are tightly clustered across a handful of bulk-friendly registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Dynadot, and Gname.

Worryingly, many of these domains are designed for long-term use, including references to FIFA 2030 and 2034. This “domain aging” strategy allows fraudsters to build passive credibility over time, a tactic often seen in targeted brand abuse.

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Real-Time Risk: Presale Phishing Incoming

FIFA’s first ticketing phase is already underway. Fans who entered the early presale draw (Sept. 9–19) will be notified of their results on September 29, with ticket purchases opening for selected users on October 1.

This window presents an ideal opportunity for fraud.

Threat actors are expected to flood inboxes and search engines with phishing emails, spoofed ticket confirmations, and fake queue portals, all timed to coincide with real FIFA communications. The likelihood of success increases when urgency is high, and expectations are real.

“What we’re seeing isn’t isolated cybercrime. Its infrastructure being built, at scale, to exploit global interest before the World Cup even kicks off,” said Amit Weigman,

Evangelist at Check Point Software Technologies. “Threat actors are not waiting for 2026. They are matching their timeline to FIFA’s.”

What Check Point Research Found

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  • 4,300+ FIFA-related domains registered in less than 60 days, with peak activity between August 8–12 and again in early September.
  • Registrar concentration across GoDaddy, Namecheap, Gname, and Dynadot enables bulk automation and rapid deployment.
  • Linguistic targeting splits by audience: English for streaming, Spanish and Portuguese for ticketing and merchandise, French for European markets.
  • Top-level domains include .com, .shop, .store, .online, and .football — often chosen for low cost and low friction.
  • DNS overlaps suggest centralised control by small numbers of semi-professional operators using scripted fraud kits.
  • Telegram channels and dark-web forums are already promoting fake tickets, counterfeit gear, and payment fraud toolkits.

Ticketing Disruption & Botnet Abuse

Beyond simple scams, Check Point uncovered evidence of systemic attacks designed to destabilise FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure.

Botnets are being trained to flood pre-sale queues, scoop up high-demand inventory, and manipulate dynamic pricing models. On underground markets, customised toolkits and proxy farms are being sold with FIFA-specific instructions, an echo of tactics used to disrupt major ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster.

The Bigger Threat Landscape

  • Fans face exposure to phishing, financial fraud, and malware through fake ticket sites and livestreaming scams.
  • FIFA and sponsors face brand abuse, lost traffic, and counterfeit commerce.
  • Host cities and venues may see travelers targeted with geo-specific scams tied to accommodation, transport, or hospitality.
  • The internet ecosystem, including ad networks, registrars, and messaging platforms, risks becoming a distribution layer for fraud.

 

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