Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has revealed the relentless mindset of his Super Eagles team-mate Victor Osimhen, describing the striker’s will to win as “sick”.
Speaking on the Best Mode On podcast, the Fulham playmaker painted a picture of a forward driven by sheer hunger and fearlessness.
“Every time in training, he’s always getting hurt because he’s got to put his leg or his head into something that he shouldn’t do. He’s always been fighting,” Iwobi said.
“I’m not surprised he is where he is right now. Some would say he’s not polished, he’s a bit raw, but Victor will create himself five chances a game, just himself, just from hard work and running.
“He doesn’t care who you are. He doesn’t care if you’re [Virgil] Virgil van Dijk, if you’re a guy from non-league, no disrespect to non-league, he will fight. He will treat the game in the Champions League as if he’s playing with his brethren.
“He always wants to win, and that mentality is sick. It’s sick. Sometimes it can be over the top because in training, he would like to fight and make sure he’s winning.
“Then sometimes he cheats, and he knows he’s cheating just to win. But it’s just a sick mentality.”
Osimhen’s competitive edge has been central to his rise as one of the world’s most feared strikers, scoring 35 goals in 52 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Meanwhile, his club manager Okan Buruk has offered encouraging news ahead of a crucial derby clash.
The Galatasaray head coach confirmed the Nigerian forward is expected to be ready for next Saturday’s showdown with Fenerbahçe after missing the weekend’s Süper Lig win over Gençlerbirliği.
Osimhen travelled to Ankara but was left out of the squad as the club carefully managed his recovery from an arm injury sustained during a UEFA Champions League tie against Liverpool. He later underwent surgery at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital.
“Osimhen participated in parts of training, but afterwards he felt some fatigue,” Buruk told Sporx. “After discussions with Coach Yener and Osimhen himself, we decided it was best not to include him in the squad this week. We’ll assess him ahead of the next cup game and see how many minutes he can handle. He should, of course, be ready for the Fenerbahçe match.”
Galatasaray have struggled without him, taking just one win from five league games and dropping key points against Trabzonspor, Konyaspor, Gaziantep FK and Kocaelispor. Despite the setbacks, they remain narrowly at the top with five matches left.
Before his injury, Osimhen had scored 19 goals and seven assists in 29 outings across all competitions. His return could see him partner with Mauro Icardi in a derby that could shape the title race.
