By Tejiri Omoefe
Victor Osimhen dedicated Galatasaray’s 2-1 victory over fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in Monday night’s Intercontinental Derby to Head Coach Okan Buruk, after scoring both goals in a win overshadowed by a post-match confrontation between players and staff of the two clubs.
The Nigeria international proved decisive at RAMS Park, netting a brace to secure bragging rights for the Turkish champions and extend his impressive scoring run to three goals in his last two appearances for the club.
Osimhen said the victories over Lille and Fenerbahçe were special gifts to Buruk, who recently celebrated his 53rd birthday, describing the coach as a father figure to the players.
“We love our coach Okan Buruk very much. Beyond being our technical director, we love him like a father,” Osimhenwas quoted as saying by Turkish outlet Sporx.
“He’s a very good person, both on and off the field. We wanted to gift him victories against both Lille and Fenerbahçe, and we succeeded.”
The striker also reaffirmed Galatasaray’s ambition, saying: “We are the biggest in Turkey, one of the biggest in the world. And we’re showing that.”
However, the derby ended amid controversy, with both clubs issuing statements after a confrontation broke out on the pitch following the final whistle. Players and staff rushed onto the field as tensions escalated.
Galatasaray accused Fenerbahçe defender Archie Brown of physically attacking their captain, Abdulkerim Bardakci, while Fenerbahçe condemned the incident and called for an investigation and disciplinary action against those responsible.
“The rivalry and tension of the derby do not give anyone the right to attack our players,” Fenerbahçe said, arguing that the conduct of members of the opposing team had aggravated the situation rather than eased tensions.
The Istanbul club insisted that the incident should not be dismissed as ordinary derby tension.
Galatasaray, however, rejected its rivals’ allegations, describing Fenerbahçe’s statement as an attempt to deflect attention from the defeat through what it called false claims and efforts to influence disciplinary proceedings.
“The statement made by our rival club is a clear example of the saying, ‘The thief cries first to make the householder look guilty,’” Galatasaray said.
The Turkish champions also alleged that tensions had been stirred before kick-off, accusing members of the visiting side of making provocative gestures upon arriving at the stadium.
Galatasaray further criticised the refereeing and the conduct of Fenerbahçe players Brown, Kerem Aktürkoğlu and MertHakan Yandaş.
Despite the controversy, Osimhen’s decisive performance ensured that the night belonged to Galatasaray on the pitch, with the striker’s brace providing a memorable birthday gift for Buruk and another statement of intent from the Turkish champions.
