Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is a doubt for Nigeria’s crunch Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final against South Africa penciled for Wednesday, January 7, 2024, after failing to travel with the rest of the squad.
Nigeria squad flew to Bouake on Monday, Osimhen remained in the capital, Abidjan, accompanied by a member of the medical staff – abdominal discomfort prevented him from flying to the match venue.
“Members of the team traveled from Abidjan to Bouaké today via a 10 pm Air Cote D’Ivoire flight. Osimhen did not, however, make the trip due to abdominal discomfort,” the Super Eagles said in a statement.
Osimhen was carried off on a stretcher during stoppage time in the 1-0 quarter-final victory over Angola. Despite playing in all five of Nigeria’s matches at the tournament, he hasn’t scored since netting the equalizer in the opening match against Equatorial Guinea.
It remains to be seen whether he will recover in time to join his teammates ahead of the AFCON showdown with South Africa.
“Team medics have confirmed that he is under close observation, with a member of the medical team staying behind in Abidjan with him. If cleared by tomorrow morning, he will join the rest of the squad before 5 pm,” the statement added.
Despite several prominent teams exiting the tournament unexpectedly, the Super Eagles are now seen as the frontrunners to win the trophy as they gear up for their crucial last-four clash on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles aim to secure their fourth AFCON title, with their last triumph dating back to 2013. However, they have struggled to reach the final in recent years.
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In the last four tournaments, Nigeria failed to qualify twice and were eliminated in the last-16 stage by Tunisia two years ago.
A win against South Africa on Wednesday would set up a final against either hosts Ivory Coast or DR Congo on Sunday.
