The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have debunked claims that Umar Sadiq was not properly assessed before withdrawing from the Super Eagles squad ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Real Sociedad forward had to withdraw from the squad after picking up an injury while the national team were training in the United Arab Emirates with Trabzonspor’s Paul Onuachu replacing him.
There was however a video of Sadiq back in training with his club in Spain and it called into question the competency and efficiency of the NFF medical team with some believing the injury was not real and was a move to allow him to go back to his club. The NFF have asserted that there is no iota of truth in those claims and approved of the medical team’s assessment of the player.
“The camp of Nigeria’s senior men football team, Super Eagles has decried reports in sections of the media that have continued to garnish the medical case of Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar with conspiracy theories, incorrect assumptions and unbecoming insinuations. The camp has released a statement with regards to how the player was withdrawn from Nigeria’s squad for the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals ongoing in Cote d’Ivoire,” read a statement released by the governing body.
“…Most of the reports we have seen are not a true representation of what actually happened. We have a very competent medical team who are well-trained in sport and exercise medicine and highly experienced and exposed to the most modern techniques and practices. They followed all due processes and protocol in tandem with the consultant knee surgeon that the player himself contacted in Spain before the decision was made in the interest of the nation and the career of the player.
“As much as the medical team has refused to join issues with anyone due to their professional patience and privacy policy, we will not allow anyone to rubbish our collective responsibility as Team Nigeria to this Africa Cup of Nations championship. We reiterate that the player was carried along throughout the process, and he started his rehabilitation with the team physiotherapist before he returned to his club in Spain.”
The camp of Nigeria’s senior men football team, Super Eagles has decried reports in sections of the media that have continued to garnish the medical case of Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar with conspiracy theories, incorrect assumptions and unbecoming insinuations.
— The NFF ???????? (@thenff) January 16, 2024
Nigeria have started AFCON 2023 in less-than-ideal fashion, drawing Equatorial Guinea 1-1 in their Group B opener and will tackle hosts Ivory Coast next on Thursday.
