Nigeria will play against Mali and Ghana during the International break, starting on Friday as they take on the Black Stars in Morocco.
Ghanaian and West Ham attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus is set to miss the scintillating clash against Nigeria after suffering a knee injury, as reported by Soccernet.ng. The 23-year-old midfielder, who can also operate on the flanks, has been a standout performer under David Moyes this season.
With Michail Antonio sidelined due to injury and Danny Ings experiencing a dip in form, Moyes shifted England’s Jarrod Bowen to a forward role, deploying Kudus on the right side and Lucas Paquetá in the center. This tactical adjustment has seen Kudus contribute to ten Premier League goal involvements this season, totaling twenty in all competitions.
Despite his contributions, Kudus couldn’t prevent Ghana’s early exit from the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast. The disappointing performance led to the dismissal of coach Chris Hughton and the appointment of Borussia Dortmund’s Otto Addo.
Addo, who earns a monthly salary of $50,000 from the Ghanaian FA, named Kudus in his 26-man squad to face Nigeria. However, a report from West Ham Zone reveals that the midfielder will be unavailable for their upcoming friendlies due to his knee injury.
Kudus will return to West Ham for medical treatment, ruling him out of the game against Nigeria. Interim Nigeria coach Finidi George will also be without Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, and Taiwo Awoniyi due to injury, leaving Cyriel Dessers, Sadiq Umar, and Paul Onuachu as the likely replacements in the striking department.
