Sports News of Friday, 13 March 2026

Source: www.punchng.com

UCL: Gala president promises Osimhen, others €5m bonus

Victor Osimhen Victor Osimhen

Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and his teammates will receive a €5m bonus if the Turkish giants eliminate Liverpool FC from the UEFA Champions League, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

According to reports in Turkey, Galatasaray president Dursun Özbek announced that he would give the players the bonus if they advance to the quarter-final after their 1–0 victory over Liverpool in their first leg round of 16 game.

As reported by Le Marca Sports, Osimhen negotiated the bonus for his teammates.

Victor Osimhen said, ‘If we eliminate Liverpool, let the bonus be €5m,’ and President Dursun Özbek accepted this,” Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük was quoted as saying.

Aside from that, if Galatasaray eliminate Liverpool, the club will also gain significant revenue from UEFA. The yellow-red team will earn a bonus of €12m.

Osimhen was crucial to their first-leg win, providing the assist for Gabonese midfielder Mario Lemina’s winner as the Turkish champions secured a 1–0 victory in the round-of-16 first leg at RAMS Park on Tuesday.

The hosts initially found themselves under pressure but took the lead after just seven minutes when Osimhen headed a corner back across goal for Lemina to nod past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

With this result, Galatasaray gained an important advantage ahead of the return match to be played at Anfield on March 18, and Osimhen will hope to help the team complete the job.

It was an emotional night for the striker, who was in tears before kick-off as Galatasaray fans fulfilled their promise to honour his late mother with a special tifo display at RAMS Park.

The banner was unveiled at one end of the stadium as the Champions League anthem rang out. The 27-year-old struggled to hold back his tears but did not allow the emotion to affect his performance, playing a key role in helping his side secure a slim first-leg advantage.

Ahead of the return leg at Anfield, Osimhen praised his teammates for their performance against the Premier League club and expressed confidence that the team could produce another strong display away from home.

“Every time we play here it’s so emotional for us. Aside from that, the victory is important,” he said.

“We know next week is going to be really hard, but I believe in this team and the kind of performance we put in against a very good side like Liverpool. I’m optimistic that we can do some damage there at Anfield.”

The Nigerian striker has been a leading figure in the Galatasaray squad since making his move to the club permanent in the summer.

He has been instrumental to their run in the Champions League with seven goals and three assists in nine appearances. With 11 more goals and four assists in the Turkish Süper Lig, that takes his contributions across all competitions to 18 goals and seven assists this season.