Victor Osimhen, the African Footballer of the Year, is doubtful for Nigeria’s African Cup of Nations semi-final against South Africa due to a stomach ache, the Nigerian Football Federation said.
The player did not accompany the team from Abidjan, where Nigeria beat Angola in the quarter-finals on Friday, to Bouake, where the first of the semi-finals will be played on Wednesday.
The Nigeria Football Federation released a statement saying that the team doctors have confirmed that the player is under intensive surveillance, with a member of the medical team remaining with him in Abidjan. If he is discharged the following morning (today), he will join the rest of the team.
The absence of Osimhen, who has been the tournament’s most outstanding player with his endless runs and phenomenal work rate, would be a blow for José Peseiro’s Nigeria.
After the clash between Nigeria and South Africa, which will determine the first CAN finalist on Wednesday, comes the clash between hosts Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
