Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that Victor Osimhen, Alhassan Yusuf and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru will miss Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar due to injury.
Chelle disclosed this while speaking to reporters ahead of Friday’s encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Despite the absence of the trio, the Malian tactician expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to secure a positive result against the Barea.
“We have a lot of injured players. Victor Osimhen, Alhassan Yusuf and Dele-Bashiru, but it’s not a problem for us,” Chelle said.
The Super Eagles coach, however, warned that Madagascar would be a difficult opponent and urged his players to remain focused throughout the contest.
“We are ready. It will be difficult because Madagascar is a big team. It will be a fight; they defeated Nigeria in 2019,” he added.
Nigeria will begin their AFCON qualifying campaign aiming to secure maximum points at home before travelling for their second group fixture next week.
The Super Eagles have been boosted by the arrival of key players in camp, with Chelle expected to rely on the depth of his squad to cope with the injury setbacks.
Friday’s match presents an opportunity for Nigeria to make a strong start to the qualification series as they target a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
