2023 AFCON: Iheanacho, Moffi expected on Saturday, Umar out

Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi are expected to team up with the rest of the squad ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Iheanacho would arrive a day before Nigeria’s first match against Equatorial Guinea, even as Real Sociedad forward, Sadiq Umar has been ruled out of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Moffi who was a last-minute replacement for Victor Boniface is expected to join the squad on Sunday.

The AFCON which kicks off on Saturday with a game between Nigeria’s Group A foes – hosts Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau – will hold till Feb. 11.

Super Eagles Media officer, Babafemi Raji, told NAN that both players were not part of the team’s second training session in Abidjan on Thursday.

Iheanacho was initially expected to have travelled with the team to Cote d’Ivoire from Lagos on Wednesday.

“Iheanacho will join us on Saturday and Moffi on Sunday,” Raji told NAN.

Meanwhile, Umar, who is in Abidjan, did not train with the rest of the squad on Thursday, as he jogged alone on the sidelines, while Peseiro and his crew worked with the remaining 22 of the final 25 men.

This was after the Real Sociedad striker suffered a knee injury in the aftermath of their warm up friendly with Guinea in Abu Dhabi, and will now be out of action for at least three weeks.

NAN also reports that Nigeria’s injury list has been growing since the Portuguese coach named his final 25-man squad.

Leicester midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, was the first to be ruled out and was replaced by Antwerp’s Alhassan Yusuf, while red-hot Bayer Leverkusen man, Victor Boniface, also picked up a groin injury before the end of the team’s one-week training camp in Abu Dhabi.

With Boniface and Umar now out, Peseiro only has reigning African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen, as the only fit striker.

However, a post on the team’s official X handle (formerly twitter) on Friday confirmed that Trabzonspor of Turkey gangling striker Paul Onuachu will now replace the injured Sadiq.

Nigeria, who won the AFCON in 1980, 1994 and 2013, are in Group A with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

The three-time African champions will begin their quest for a fourth title on Sunday against Equatorial Guinea, before facing Cote d’Ivoire Jan. 18, while the last group game is against Guinea-Bissau on Jan. 22.