Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro has called on Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu to replace injured Sadiq Umar ahead of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opening game against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.
The 26-year-old is the third player to suffer injury setback in the Super Eagles’ final squad after Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Boniface who have been replaced by Alhassan Yusuf and Terem Moffi respectively.
Umar missed the Super Eagles’ training session in Abidjan on Thursday evening and will now return to Real Sociedad for further medical examination and treatment.
The update from the Super Eagles page read: “Sadiq Umar is out of the AFCON 2023 squad due to injury and Paul Onuachu replaces him.”
Onuachu’s invitation is subjected to approval by his club and he is expected to join the Super Eagles’ camp before their game at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe on Sunday.
The latest injury blow leaves Peseiro with selection headache, as Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho is yet to join the team’s camp in the Ivorian capital city.
As they await the arrivals of new call-ups Terem Moffi and Onuachu, African football king Victor Osimhen is primed to lead the Super Eagles’ attack with captain Ahmed Musa, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon also available as attacking options.
Nigeria are gunning for a fourth AFCON trophy when they make their 20th appearance in the tournament in Ivory Coast.
The three-time African champions last lifted the trophy in 2013 and they could not go beyond the round of 16 in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
