January 18, (THEWILL) – In a surprising turn of events, Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq was able to play for his club Real Sociedad on Wednesday, just days after being ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament due to injury. Sadiq had been sent home from the Nigerian national team last week after reporting a knee issue that was expected to sideline him for close to three weeks.
However, Sadiq made a shock return to the field as he came on in the 73rd minute of Sociedad’s 2-0 Copa del Rey win over Osasuna. This rapid recovery has left Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro admitting to being “confused” by the situation. Peseiro stated that he had seen medical reports indicating Sadiq would be out for at least 15 days and that his club had agreed he should return to Spain to recover.
Sadiq earned his 9th national team cap in a friendly on January 8th as Nigeria prepared for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. However, shortly after he suffered an injury setback, it was decided he would not be fit to participate. Southampton forward Paul Onuachu was called up to take his place in the squad.
While Onuachu linked up with Nigeria, Sadiq made a perplexing return for his club. He came on as a second-half sub as Sociedad advanced to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 2-nil result. Meanwhile, Nigeria stumbled in their AFCON opener, only managing a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea.
The Super Eagles face a crucial match against tournament hosts Ivory Coast later on Thursday. It is not certain if Sadiq’s absence is impacting their performance after his surprise return for his club. Yet, the situation has left many scratching their heads.
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.
