Nigeria’s coach, Jose Peseiro, expressed his confusion on Wednesday over reports suggesting that striker Umar Sadiq was poised to resume playing for his club Real Sociedad shortly after withdrawing from the Africa Cup of Nations due to injury.
Addressing reporters in Abidjan, Peseiro shared his bewilderment regarding the apparent quick recovery of the 26-year-old from a knee injury, which he believed would have ruled Sadiq out of any involvement in the AFCON.
“I am confused also,” Peseiro remarked. “I received a report from the medical team that he is injured, and he cannot recover in 15 days at least. The report went to the club, and the club said he must go back to recover – they even said there was a possibility he might need surgery.”
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Peseiro explained the decision to replace Sadiq with forward Paul Onuachu on the last day allowed for player substitutions, who subsequently played in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in their opening AFCON match.
While expressing happiness at Sadiq’s recovery, Peseiro regretted his absence, emphasizing that the player’s injury occurred during a pre-tournament friendly against Guinea.
Real Sociedad’s coach, Imanol Alguacil, hinted that the Nigerian Football Federation made the decision to send Sadiq back to his club, potentially making him available for a Copa del Rey match against Osasuna.
Additionally, Peseiro mentioned that midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, a late replacement for the injured Wilfred Ndidi, would not be available for the match against Ivory Coast due to a minor injury sustained in the opening game.
On the Ivory Coast side, coach Jean-Louis Gasset provided updates on the fitness of striker Sebastien Haller and winger Simon Adingra, both of whom missed the opening 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau. Gasset stated that they were on the right track but emphasized the need to consult with the medical staff and players before deciding on their participation in the upcoming match against Nigeria.