Super Eagles forwards Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho have both been ruled out of the team’s friendly game against Mozambique on Monday.
The duo, who featured in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia last Friday, will play no part in the encounter slated for the Estadio Municipal de Albufeira in Portugal.
M A T C H D A Y!
⚽️ Nigeria ???????? ???? Mozambique ????????
???? Monday, 16 October, 2023
⏱ 4pm ????????
???? Estadio Municipal De Albufeira Portimao
???? International Friendly Match#SoarSuperEagles #LetsDoItAgain pic.twitter.com/BGTBOHgxNs
— ???????? Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 16, 2023
Napoli forward Osimhen started for the Eagles against the Green Falcons and came off in the second half, while Iheanacho, who replaced Samuel Chukwueze five minutes after the hour mark, thought he had secured the win for Nigeria with a stunning strike late in the game.
Their news of the duo’s absence from the match was announced on the team’s official platform on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, and according to the post, Osimhen will miss the game due to “precautionary measures as advised by the Eagles’ medical team”, while Leicester City’s Ihenacho will be attending to personal issues.
Camp update. #soarsupereagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/AZCklsi1Wu
— ???????? Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 15, 2023
Albeit the absence of the two key players, the Eagles ramped up preparations for the friendly, which serves as a warm-up for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Jose Peseiro’s men will take on the Mambas of Mozambique at 4 p.m. WAT, and the Portuguese manager has assured fans that the team has enough quality to cope with their absence.
