Victor Osimhen became the latest Nigerian and Super Eagles superstar to crash out of Europe after Galatasaray’s defeat to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
Victor Osimhen’s hopes of a successful Europa League campaign were dashed on Thursday night as his team, Galatasaray, suffered a humiliating exit at the hands of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
The defeat marked another disappointing chapter for Nigerian footballers in European competitions, following Ademola Lookman’s exit with Atalanta just 24 hours earlier.
 "Heartbreak in Istanbul! Osimhen's Europa dreams shattered as youthful AZ dump Galatasaray out 1")
The world football body recently banned Congo, Pakistan, and Russia from participating in the 2026 World Cup, but they are not the first to be dealt such a blow. Here are 12 countries that have been suspended by FIFA.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Soccer News in Nigeria from Pulse Sports
 "Heartbreak in Istanbul! Osimhen's Europa dreams shattered as youthful AZ dump Galatasaray out 2")
The day the world football governing body suspended Nigeria from international football
Osimhen, who missed the first leg due to suspension, was eager to make an impact in the second leg at Rams Park.
However, despite his efforts and Galatasaray’s desperation to overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg, it was the youthful AZ Alkmaar squad that dominated the match.
Victor Osimhen was keen to impress after missing the first leg in the Netherlands.
The visitors, boasting an average age of 23.2 compared to Galatasaray’s experienced lineup averaging 28.3, stunned the home fans with two goals in each half.
AZ Alkmaar’s Seiya Maikuma opened the scoring just before halftime, capitalising on a fortunate bounce after Galatasaray attempted to clear the ball.
Osimhen runs back to restart the game after his fantastic goal.
This goal extended AZ’s aggregate lead to 5-1 and put them firmly in control of the tie.
In the second half, AZ continued their dominance with a stunning strike from Kasius, whose shot from outside the box fizzed past the brilliant goalkeeper Günay Guvenc, making it 2-0 on the night and 6-1 on aggregate.
AZ started on a blistering note, leaving the home fans stunned.
Despite the dire situation, Osimhen managed to give Galatasaray fans a glimmer of hope with a powerful half-volley that reduced the aggregate deficit back to four goals.
Shortly after, Roland Sallai drew the hosts level for the night with a well-placed finish from Baris Alper Yılmaz’s assist.
Galatasaray found the youthful AZ a hard nut to crack.
However, Galatasaray still needed three more goals to force extra time, and time was running out. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, sealing Galatasaray’s fate as they exited the competition with an aggregate score of 6-3.
This defeat leaves Osimhen and his teammates reflecting on a disappointing European campaign, while AZ Alkmaar advance confidently into the next round.
For Galatasaray and their supporters, it was a heartbreaking night to forget as their Europa League dreams came crashing down in Istanbul.
Comment and Earn N5.... comments are approved manually by admin.. Comment must be long and from the post.. short comments will not be approved