January 21, (THEWILL) – The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been dealt another injury blow ahead of their final Africa Cup of Nations group game against Guinea-Bissau on Monday, with midfielder Alhassan Yusuf ruled out.
Yusuf, who plays club football for Royal Antwerp in Belgium, earned widespread praise for his battling performance against Equatorial Guinea last week but was forced off with a muscle problem in the second half after being the most fouled player for the 90 minutes.
Coach Jose Peseiro confirmed at a press conference on Sunday, that the 22-year-old has not recovered in time and will miss the clash with Guinea-Bissau, although he could still feature later in the tournament if Nigeria progress.
“Yusuf did not train up till now, tomorrow cannot play,” explained Peseiro. “He started working on the pitch but was not ready for the next match. If our report says he cannot play anymore, he returns to Antwerp but no he can play.”
With Nigeria switching to a 3-4-3 system in their impressive win over Ivory Coast, Yusuf’s absence was less keenly felt. Still, Peseiro could bring Club Brugge talent Raphael Onyedika into a central midfield role if he opts for 4-3-3 against Guinea-Bissau, with progression to the knockout stages likely hanging on the result.
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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.
