The Super Eagles game against Cameroon have been thrown into throes following the reports that a number of key Nigerian players invited; pulled out of the Friday’s international friendly.
With the Cameroonian national team already looking set for the double-header which will take place at the Weiner Neustadt Stadium, same cannot be said about Nigeria with the withdrawal of players putting the game in uncertainty.
“We had nine defenders in list. Six now are out,”head coach of the team Gernot Rohr told ESPN.
“They said they had some injuries and the doctors from the clubs said they need to rest because they have some pains. So we got some medical attestations from the teams.
“Ola Aina told me yesterday that his ankle is painful and he cannot make it and the club physio said he cannot play. Then we have (Kevin) Akpoguma, we knew already he is injured and cannot play.
“Victor Osimhen is injured. He send us an attestation. The meniscus in his knee is painful.
“(Zaidu) Sanusi is injured. He was in Paris to see a doctor, for surgery perhaps but not for the moment. (Tyronne) Ebuehi sent us a message with a medical attestation that he cannot make it. And Semi Ajayi also says he has problems with his back and the Physio says he needs two weeks of rest.
“Simy Nwankwo also, they send us attestation from his club that he cannot make it because he is injured.”
Rohr had called up some fresh ones like: Valentine Ozornwafor from Galatasaray, Samson Tijani from RB Salzburg and Frank Onyeka from Midtylland, among others as replacements, but that could not solve the crisis as players that he called up to replace the injured players, also ended up pulling out.
“I invited the player Tijani from Salzburg who has told me that he is injured in training yesterday… hamstring. And Frank Onyeka from Midjtylland, I called him but he cannot come either,” Rohr said.
To make the matter worse, there is no chance of getting players from Nigeria’s domestic league to make up for the personnel deficits, as they would require at least 10 days to secure entry visas.
