Super Eagles striker to miss September AFCON qualifiers with hamstring injury

Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle. Copyright: ImagoxToyinxOshodi

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will return to action for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September, and a striker will be unavailable for selection by coach Éric Chelle, Soccernet.ng reports.

​This comes as striker Sadiq Umar has suffered an injury at Valencia. The 29-year-old marksman started for his club against newly promoted Deportivo La Coruña on Saturday, scoring his side’s only goal in a 3–1 defeat.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for Deportivo, who were unfortunate to concede two own goals on the night.

​He played the full 90 minutes. However, when he returned to the club for training on Monday morning, he was limping.

​According to Analytica Fantasy, Sadiq appears to have suffered a hamstring injury. As a result, he faces up to two months on the sidelines, meaning he will only be able to return to action in late October or early November.

​This is a blow for Valencia, as Sadiq is an important squad player who tends to deliver when the chips are down. In his absence, coach Carlos Corberán will be banking on Arnaut Danjuma and Hugo Duro to step up.

Soccer ​Super Eagles: Chelle Spoiled for Choice in Attack

​Sadiq Umar’s injury should not affect the Super Eagles significantly, as he has not been a regular under coach Éric Chelle.

​In fact, the Franco-Malian tactician has plenty of attacking options heading into the September qualifiers.

Galatasaray superstar Victor Osimhen is a fixture in the lineup, and because Chelle favors a two-striker system, Akor Adams is typically the second choice; he will likely make the cut despite failing to score in Venezia’s opening two fixtures.

​Meanwhile, other strikers are thriving at club level. Tolu Arokodare, Cyriel Dessers, and Rafiu Durosinmi have enjoyed strong form since the start of the campaign, and Chelle cannot take all of them. Consequently, he faces a difficult selection dilemma.

​In the middle of the park, Wilfred Ndidi has been relegated to a bench role at Beşiktaş. Raphael Onyedika, on the other hand, has been consistent for Eintracht Frankfurt, raising the possibility that Chelle might tweak his starting eleven.

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
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