Nigerian football fans were dealt a blow on Tuesday with the news that star striker Victor Osimhen will miss next month’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin due to injury.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed Osimhen, who plays for Italian club Napoli, is sidelined for at least four weeks.
To fill the void, Enugu Rangers defender Kenneth Igboke has been called up to the national team.
The upcoming matches are critical for Nigeria’s World Cup qualification hopes.
Sitting precariously in third place in Group C with only two points from their opening two games, pressure is mounting on the team to secure victories.
Their path won’t be easy, as they face off against second-placed South Africa (3 points) on June 7th in Uyo before traveling to Ivory Coast for a clash with Benin three days later.
The group standings are tight, with Rwanda currently leading on four points, followed by South Africa and Lesotho (both on 3 points).
Zimbabwe and Benin round out the group on two and one point, respectively.
Nigeria will need to find their scoring touch without Osimhen to stay on track for World Cup qualification.
