Victor Osimhen scored in the 16th minute against Istanbul Basaksehir on 4 September and was off the pitch 17 minutes later. Galatasaray have since confirmed a strain with bleeding in the right groin area, ruling him out until after the international break. That takes Nigeria’s most reliable goalscorer out of both opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers. He is not the only forward Eric Chelle has lost this week either, which turns a straightforward selection into a genuine problem.
His absence does not change the underlying hierarchy. Nigeria are three-time African champions and finished third at AFCON 2025. Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau sit well below them in the CAF pecking order, and the Super Eagles will be priced as clear favourites for the home fixture in Uyo and as favourites again on the road four days later. Where the injuries do bite is everywhere except the match result.
Backing Nigeria to win at a short price offers little, so the interest moves to the handicap and the goal totals, and both look different without a recognised finisher. A team that would ordinarily be expected to cover a one-goal handicap against Madagascar becomes a far less comfortable proposition when the man who guarantees the second and third goals is in Istanbul. The goalscorer markets shift furthest.
Osimhen is the default selection in any Nigeria fixture, and his absence leaves a genuinely open field in which whoever starts up front carries a price that would never be available otherwise. Anyone planning to take a position on those markets can find the Betway promo code explained on Afrik-Foot, though the single most valuable piece of information will be the team sheet an hour before kick-off in Uyo.
Paul Onuachu went down during Trabzonspor’s 5-0 win over Gençlerbirliği on Sunday, having scored twice inside the opening 22