Super Eagles AFCON roster update: Peseiro calls up Southampton loanee to replace injured Sadiq 

The injury suffered by Sadiq Umar in the Super Eagles pre-Africa Cup of Nations training camp is worse than first feared and the Real Sociedad centre forward faces a spell on the sidelines, effectively ruling him out of the tournament in Ivory Coast, allnigeriasoccer.com reports. 

The Nigeria Football Federation have confirmed that Sadiq has withdrawn from the Africa Cup of Nations roster and Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro has called up Southampton loanee Paul Onuachu as his replacement. 

It is understood that Sadiq suffered a knee injury during the Super Eagles friendly game against Guinea, an ailment that saw him sit out the team's first two training sessions in Abidjan.

In September 2022, Sadiq tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a match against Getafe, causing him to miss the rest of the season.

The former AS Roma and Rangers player recovered before the start of the 2023-2024 season and has participated in 22 games, scoring two goals. 

Onuachu was initially named on the provisional roster and has now been promoted to the main squad, two days before Nigeria begin their AFCON campaign against Equatorial Guinea. 

The lanky striker has been in brilliant form since his loan move to Trabzonspor with nine goals and three assists in fifteen Super Lig games. 

He is now set to attend his second Africa Cup of Nations after making his debut in the 2019 edition in Egypt, where he played in three games. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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