Sports

Champions League: Osimhen, Icardi partnership will rattle Juventus, says Buruk

Published

13 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has expressed his delight at seeing Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi combine so effectively in Friday night’s emphatic victory over Eyuspor, Soccernet.ng reports.

The striking duo were simply too hot to handle as Galatasaray cruised to a dominant 5-1 win in front of their home fans.

For much of the season, Buruk had stuck with a familiar 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 setup, which usually meant only one of Osimhen or Icardi led the line at a time.

Attention now quickly turns to a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League playoff clash with Italian heavyweights Juventus.

The first leg will take place in Istanbul next week, before the decisive return match in Turin. While Juventus go into the tie as favourites, Buruk believes his side can trouble the Serie A giants.

“We will prepare for Juventus,” Buruk added.

“A very different match and a very strong opponent awaits us. We will immediately recover mentally and prepare. You know how Atletico Madrid plays, but Juventus has very different formations. Their build-up play can change from time to time. They have players who are very difficult to predict. They have very good wing players up front. Kenan Yıldız is very valuable. They don’t give away easy chances.”

Galatasaray have not reached the Champions League round of 16 in more than a decade, but Buruk is determined to change that this season.

“It’s a two-legged match and we will think like that,” he noted. “We are in a much better place physically, mentally and in terms of squad. Our goal will be to beat Juventus.”

Osimhen’s impact has been crucial so far, with nine league goals in 16 appearances, alongside another six strikes in the Champions League.

Trending On Naijacoaded:

Sports

Paul Onuachu set for a record held by only Osimhen after Trabzonspor lose to Fenerbahçe

Published

14 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Naijacoaded

Paul Onuachu is moving closer to a special record in Turkey after scoring again for Trabzonspor, even though his team lost 3–2 to Fenerbahçe in a thrilling Super Lig match, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Super Eagles striker has now scored in five league games in a row. His powerful header against Fenerbahçe took his total to 16 goals in just 19 appearances this season. That makes him the outright top scorer in the Turkish top flight.

Onuachu is now leading the race for the Golden Boot, known in Turkey as the ‘Gol Kralı’ award. If he finishes the season as top scorer, he will become only the second Nigerian ever to win it.

The only Nigerian to achieve that feat so far is Victor Osimhen. The striker scored 26 league goals last season, helping Galatasaray win the title after joining on loan from Napoli. His impact later earned him a permanent move.

Onuachu is now trying to follow that same historic path.

A thrilling match that slipped away from Paul Onuachu’s Trabzonspor
Both teams went into the game knowing a win would help them close the gap on league leaders Galatasaray, and the match quickly lived up to expectations.

Trabzonspor struck first after just six minutes. A long pass split the defence and allowed Ernest Muçi to run through on goal. He calmly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to give the home side an early lead.

Fenerbahçe responded strongly. Anderson Talisca equalised in the 15th minute with a fine finish, before Kerem Akturkoglu completed the turnaround just before half-time to make it 2–1.

But Onuachu had the final word of the first half. Rising highest in the box, he powered home a header to bring Trabzonspor level at 2–2 and send the crowd into celebration.

The joy did not last long.

Only three minutes after the restart, Marco Asensio finished off a smooth passing move to restore Fenerbahçe’s lead. Despite late pressure from Trabzonspor, the visitors held firm to secure all three points.

The win keeps Fenerbahçe second in the table, just three points behind Galatasaray. The defeat, however, leaves Trabzonspor 10 points off the top, but Onuachu’s record chase remains very much alive.

Sports

Rivers United: Finidi George leads club to terrible record after damning defeat at Berkane

Published

16 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Naijacoaded

Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) side Rivers United have officially crashed out of the CAF Champions League following a sobering 3-0 defeat at the hands of RS Berkane, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Pride of Rivers traveled to Morocco for their final group stage fixture as a mere formality. Before kickoff, the Port Harcourt-based side sat rock-bottom of the standings, having picked up just a single point from a possible 15 in their opening five games.

With their fate already sealed, progress was mathematically impossible regardless of the result against their Moroccan hosts.

Despite having nothing but pride to play for, the Nigerian representatives were thoroughly outclassed.

RS Berkane, the reigning CAF Confederation Cup champions, asserted their dominance early, racing to a two-goal lead before halftime thanks to strikes from Youssef Mehri and Paul Bassene.

The pummeling continued after the break, with the Moroccans adding a third just eight minutes into the second half to make it 3-0. The game eventually ended that way.

The statistics showed an embarrassing story of total domination; Rivers United managed just four attempts throughout the match, while their hosts registered 22 shots. The Pride of Rivers could have conceded as much as five

According to Opta Nigeria, Rivers United’s exit marks a dark milestone in Nigerian football history.

This is the first time a Nigerian club has been knocked out of the CAF Champions League group stage without recording a single victory.

This poor run serves as a significant dent on Finidi George’s coaching CV.

While North African clubs are often a level above their Nigerian counterparts, the Pride of Rivers’ inability to defeat even Zambia’s Power Dynamos over two legs is also questionable.

With Rivers United’s exit, there are no Nigerian clubs left in the competition—a disappointing reality for the image of the NPFL.

Nonetheless, Finidi and his men have a clear path to redemption. They currently sit second in the NPFL table, level on points with league leaders Ikorodu City.

With four games in hand, Rivers United remain favorites to reclaim the summit and secure a return to continental football next season.