Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has expressed disappointment with Galatasaray’s performance despite their UEFA Champions League playoff victory over Juventus, which secured qualification for the Round of 16.

Galatasaray advanced after an extra-time win in the second leg on Wednesday in Turin, sealing a 7-5 aggregate victory following a 5-2 first-leg advantage at home.

Osimhen pulled a goal back at 3-0 to make it 3-1 on the night, putting the Turkish side 6-5 ahead on aggregate, before Barış Alper Yılmaz sealed qualification with a late goal.

The 27-year-old Nigerian gave a candid assessment of the team’s display.

“If I have to be honest with you, I am disappointed with the performance of the team

“Kudos to Juventus for the kind of display they put up.

“This performance was not really good. Juventus deserved the win, but I’m happy for my team to qualify for the next round,” Osimhen said.

He added, “Some of my teammates were timid. I tried to motivate them — I cannot do it alone. They were scared by the crowd and the way Juventus were playing.

“But I know this team; when you sit back and let them play, they will even do more damage. They even played better with the red card than when they were 11 players.”

The remarks quickly generated reaction on social media, with fans divided over his blunt critique.

While some praised his leadership and honesty, others questioned whether such comments could create tension within the squad.

Looking ahead to the Round of 16 draw, which could see Galatasaray face either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, Osimhen acknowledged the challenge.

“Meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge.

“Anyone we meet now… I wouldn’t say much, but I would like to escape Liverpool.

“But if they come, yeah, we are going to dig it out, but it’s not going to be easy,” he said.

Enyimba star Paul Odeh has disclosed that the players must adapt quickly to new head coach Emmanuel Deutsch’s style of play if the club are to move up on the league table in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Recall that the People’s Elephants are currently sitting 14th on the league table with 32 points after holding Rivers United to a 1-1 draw at the weekend.

In a chat with the club’s website, Odeh stated that the team have no excuse but to key into Deutsch’s philosophy.

“You know it’s not difficult to change coaches, but you have to adapt to the style of play, philosophy and the rest (of the new coach),” he said.

“But then, as a player, you also have to adapt fast to make sure you get yourself in order or in shape to flow with the journey.

“You know it’s a marathon league, and there is no time. And as you can see, we are not standing well on the table. So, we have to put in everything and adapt fast to make sure we move up on the table.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo has become co-owner of Spanish second division side Almeria after acquiring a 25% share in the club.

The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward has bought his stake in Almeria, who are owned by a Saudi Arabian investment consortium led by Mohammed Al-Khereiji, through his recently formed CR7 Sports Investments company.

While the financial details have not been disclosed, Ronaldo said in a statement he was looking forward to working with the leadership team “to support the next phase of the club’s growth”.

The Portugal international added: “It has been a long-held ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch.

“UD Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth.

President Al-Khereiji said: “[Ronaldo] is regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, he knows the Spanish leagues very well and he understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy.”

Last year, Al-Khereiji’s SMC Group acquired Almeria from Turki Al-Sheikh, who is chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a Saudi government department.

Ronaldo spent nine successful years in Spain playing for Real Madrid, winning La Liga twice and lifting the Champions League four times before joining Italian side Juventus in 2018.

He has played for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League since 2022 and is the best-paid player in football history with an annual salary of £177m.

Almeria were founded in 1989 are third in Segunda, two points off leaders Real Racing with 15 games to go.