Galatasaray were held to a draw by Hatayspor in their matchday 20 clash of the ongoing Turkish Süper Lig seasonThe fixture was largely marred by several unpleasant and dodgy calls by the centre referee, Cihan AydınNigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has reacted in the aftermath of the draw, which ended the club’s winning streak
Galatasaray’s remarkable unbeaten run in the Turkish Süper Lig came to an abrupt halt in their league clash against Hatayspor.
The Istanbul giants, who entered the high-stakes encounter aiming to extend their impressive 17-game winning streak on the road, saw their efforts to claim an 18th consecutive victory derailed by controversial officiating from referee, Cihan Aydın.
Victor Osimhen reacts during the Turkish Super Lig match between Atakas Hatayspor and Galatasaray at Mersin Stadium in Mersin. Image: Eren Bozkurt.
Source: Getty Images
The Turkish referee became the centre of attention with a series of questionable decisions, most notably his refusal to award Galatasaray a penalty after Hatayspor defender, Guy-Marcelin Kilama, clearly handled the ball inside the penalty area.
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Victor Osimhen explains what went wrong for Galatasaray during draw vs Hatayspor
In the aftermath of the dramatic fixture, and amid widespread reactions to the events at the Mersin Stadyumu, Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has finally spoken out about the controversial moments that unfolded during the game.
Osimhen speaks on Galatasaray’s draw vs Hatayaspor
The marquee striker, in a chat with the Istanbul club’s official website, was asked about what went wrong for him and his teammates on the night.
The 26-year-old, however, chose a diplomatic approach and avoided dwelling on the controversial officiating, which had been evident to many observers.
“There was a bit of a lack of intensity in the first half. We let the opponent play a bit. Then, with the speech of our coach, we started the second half very well.
We also increased the intensity. We focused a lot on our game. These matches are difficult. We need to maintain our focus. We need to take advantage of every opportunity. We missed many opportunities. We will try to do better by learning from our mistakes,” Osimhen said.
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He added: “I don’t think there is fatigue in the team. This is our job. It’s not just the 11 players. The guys on the bench are always ready.
I think it’s normal to have two games during the week and two at the weekend. I’m always ready and I always want to play for my team. We’ll look at this game and see our mistakes. We’ll learn from them and try to do better.”
Osimhen’s measured remarks, however, stood in sharp contrast to those of Galatasaray’s head coach, Okan Buruk.
The tactician did not hold back, openly criticising the officiating that his side endured during the match.
As reported by Persindeyiz Galatasaray, Buruk said:
“Foreign VAR referees have arrived, but just as we criticised Turkish referees, we must also criticise foreign VAR referees. Wherever you go in the world, this position is a penalty. Just as we criticize Turkish referees, foreign VAR referees will also receive their share of criticism.”
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Galatasaray, who have been enjoying an enviable run of form, recently setting a new record, will now aim to put the draw against Hatayspor behind them as they prepare to face Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League on January 21.
Journalist explains why Osimhen rejected Man United
Henzodaily.ng in another report detailed how a Turkish journalist explained why Osimhen rejected Manchester United’s transfer offer.
The marquee Nigerian striker was earlier linked with a transfer to Ruben Amorim’s side ahead of the commencement of the winter transfer window.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng