Osimhen, Chukwueze, Osayi-Samuel in heavyweight cup clashes
Three Super Eagles stars will be at the heart of two of football’s fiercest rivalries on Wednesday (today) as Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and Bright Osayi-Samuel feature in crucial cup clashes across Europe, PETER AKINBO writes
Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and Bright Osayi-Samuel will face crucial cup derbies on Wednesday (today) as Galatasaray tackle Fenerbahce in the Türkiye Cup quarter-finals while AC Milan will confront Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
The derby clashes, which will see Osimhen and Osayi-Samuel directly face off in the heated Istanbul rivalry known as the Intercontinental Derby, promise to be electric affairs with high stakes as teams battle for domestic cup glory.
Osimhen is expected to spearhead Galatasaray’s attack against compatriot Osayi-Samuel’s Fenerbahce in Wednesday’s blockbuster Türkiye Cup quarter-final clash at Ulker Stadium.
The much-anticipated derby marks the 403rd encounter between the fierce Istanbul rivals. In the previous Türkiye Cup meetings, Galatasaray dominated with 14 victories compared to Fenerbahce’s three, while 10 matches ended in draws.
Osimhen, who is on loan from Napoli, has been in scintillating form this season, netting 26 goals and providing five assists in 31 appearances across all competitions, including 20 goals in 23 league appearances for the Turkish giants.
His prolific form has attracted interest from several European clubs, though Arsenal have reportedly ended their pursuit of the 26-year-old striker.
On the other side of the Istanbul divide, Osayi-Samuel has been impressive for Fenerbahce, though his time with the Turkish giants appears to be nearing an end. According to Turkish outlet Takvim, the defender has rejected multiple contract extension offers, opting instead to pursue a move back to England.
Nottingham Forest have reportedly secured a pre-contract agreement with the versatile full-back, seeing him as a direct replacement for compatriot Ola Aina, whose contract also expires this summer and is tipped for a big move.
However, Osayi-Samuel will hope to end the season -which may be his last in Turkey – on a high but must first look for a way to stop his compatriot from doing the damage.
The winner of the high-stakes quarter-final between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray will face either Konyaspor or Iskenderunspor in the semi-finals scheduled for April 22-24, with fans eagerly awaiting this heated encounter.
Galatasaray’s Vice President Ibrahim Hatipoglu believes his team is the favourite.
“We aim to win both cups this season, and we’re confident we will come out on top in this derby,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Chukwueze will hope to feature as AC Milan face city rivals Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday night, setting up a special two-legged edition of the Derby della Madonnina.
The Nigerian winger, recently ranked among Serie A’s top 50 dribblers, has registered five goals and one assist across all competitions this season despite limited playing time. Chukwueze has completed 20 dribbles in the league, which placed him 40th overall in the Serie A dribbling charts at the time of ranking.
The 24-year-old has played just 796 minutes across 21 Serie A matches, starting only nine times for Milan, which has affected his overall contributions with just three league goals this season.
Milan enter the derby after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Scudetto hopefuls Napoli on Sunday, leaving them ninth in the league table with only 47 points so far. Former Inter player Sergio Conceicao has failed to produce an improvement since taking over from Portuguese compatriot Paulo Fonseca, with rumours suggesting he might not be retained.
However, Milan have already tasted success against their rivals this season, securing a dramatic 2-1 league victory in September when Matteo Gabbia’s late winner ended their long losing streak against Inter. They also spoiled Inter’s dreams of a quadruple by fighting back from two goals down to win January’s Supercoppa Italiana final as Chukwueze became the first Nigerian to claim an Italian Super Cup medal.
The reigning Serie A champions Inter, though, have been in impressive form, winning five consecutive matches across all competitions and tightening their grip on the Scudetto.
Inter set up this seismic semi-final by overcoming Udinese in the last 16, then knocking out Inzaghi’s former club Lazio in the quarter-finals, while Milan eliminated Roma in February’s Coppa Italia quarter-finals, as Tammy Abraham bagged a brace against his parent club.
The winner of this massive derby clash will face either Bologna or Empoli in the final, with Milan aiming to secure their first Coppa triumph in almost half a century.
