Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has firmly dismissed reports suggesting he accused Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen of faking an injury to protect his club form.

The controversy began after Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, where Osimhen—currently playing for Galatasaray—lasted just 30 minutes before a heavy challenge left him with a bruised shin. Though he attempted to continue, the striker was substituted for Cyriel Dessers minutes later and subsequently returned to Turkey for treatment, missing Nigeria’s next fixture against South Africa.

Soon after, social media was awash with claims that Gyan had mocked the situation, alleging Osimhen feigned the injury to stay fresh for Galatasaray. The supposed quote—“Go to Africa, play a bit, then act injured”—triggered heated debate between Ghanaian and Nigerian fans.

Gyan, however, wasted no time setting the record straight. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, the 39-year-old legend stated emphatically that he never granted any interview about Nigeria or Osimhen’s injury.

> “Fabricated quotes attributed to me about Victor Osimhen have gone viral on social media,” Gyan wrote. “It’s important to set the record straight: I never granted any interview about Nigeria. The last AFCON game versus Cameroon was the last time I spoke about Osimhen’s talent. Don’t spread FAKE news.”

Meanwhile, Galatasaray remain hopeful that Osimhen will recover in time for their crucial UEFA Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

The story serves as a reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread in the football world—especially when it involves two of Africa’s biggest stars.