William Troost-Ekong and Zaidu Sanusi have been ruled out of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash vs Guinea -Bissau. The AthleticNG reports.
Nigeria will face Guinea-Bissau on Monday (today), January 22, 2024, in Abidjan to conclude the group stage of the 2023 AFCON.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro will be forced into defensive changes due to injury suffered by William Troost-Ekong and Zaidu Sanusi in the last game.
Both defenders have been ruled out of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A clash against Guinea-Bissau. Troost-Ekong sustained a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 1-0 victory against Cote d’Ivoire, where he scored the decisive goal.
The PAOK Salonica player’s absence poses a challenge for the Super Eagles, and he could be replaced in the starting lineup by Kenneth Omeruo.
Omeruo is expected to step in and provide defensive stability for Nigeria. The 2013 AFCON winner joined Peseiro for the pre-match interview.
In addition to Troost-Ekong, left-back Zaidu Sanusi will also miss the game due to an injury sustained in the victory over Cote d’Ivoire. The Porto defender’s absence adds to the defensive concerns for the Nigerian team.
The Super Eagles are set to face the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Monday, and the team will need to adjust its defensive lineup to compensate for the injuries.
A win or at least a draw will see Nigeria book an automatic last-16 spot while defeat and a Cote d’Ivoire win could mean the Eagles waiting until the conclusion of final group games to see if they make the best four third place teams.
Nigeria’s AFCON campaign has suffered multiple injuries, with Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar having to be replaced in the 25-man final list while Alhassan Yusuf is yet to recover from injury sustsained vs Equatorial Guinea on January 14.
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