December 21, (THEWILL) – Victor Osimhen has given Nigeria a much-needed fitness boost, declaring himself fit for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next month.
THEWILL recalls that the 22-year-old attacker sustained face injuries in his Napoli’s 3-2 defeat against Inter Milan in November, and the Serie A side confirmed that he will be out for at least three months after undergoing successful surgery.
Because of his lengthy layoff, he was initially expected to miss the biggest football tournament on the continent, denying the three-time African champions, Nigeria his goal-scoring services.
However, when he confirmed his comeback to full training with his Italian club in November, the former Lille star gave Nigeria a huge boost.
“Thankful to God. I sincerely appreciate those who reached out to me, God bless you and yours. No time to dwell on past transgressions, looking forward to the greater things ahead. God is the greatest, we move!” Osimhen tweeted.
With the showcase scheduled to begin in 19 days, the striker moved quickly to eliminate any doubts about his availability for selection.
“I will be available for AFCON unless if am not among the players picked to represent Nigeria,” Osimhen announced on his official twitter account on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old forward was instrumental in Nigeria’s passage to the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifications in Qatar 2022, scoring nine goals in his past ten appearances for the Super Eagles.
Augustine Eguavoen would be relieved to hear this, as Nigeria is pondering his availability ahead of the final 28-man squad’s release in the coming days.
Nigeria’s TotalEnergies AFCON Group D campaign kicks off on January 11 in Garoua with a match against seven-time champions Egypt, followed by Sudan four days later and Guinea-Bissau on January 19.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
