The coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Finidi George, has called up Enugu Rangers’ left-back Kenneth Igbokwe into the national team as a replacement for injured Victor Osimhen.
The lethal who plays for Italian Serie A side Napoli sustained an injury during his club’s recent match and has been ruled out of action for the next four weeks.
Osimhen’s absence will be felt greatly by the Super Eagles, as his medical examinations have verified that he will require a month to recuperate. His absence will create a void in their attacking lineup for the senior national team.
In a related development, Finidi has also called up Caykur Rizespor of Turkey sensation Ibrahim Olawoyin as a replacement for Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella for the forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying games against South Africa and Benin Republic.
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Finidi extended a late invitation to Olawoyin after Tella, who plays for the recently crowned German Bundesliga champions, pulled out of the squad due to family reasons.
“WCQ Camp Update: Nathan Tella of Bayer Leverkusen has excused himself from the upcoming WCQ matches due to family reasons. Coach Finidi George has now called up Ibrahim Olawoyin of Caykur Rizespor of Turkey,” reads a statement on the Super Eagles’ X account.
Finidi is now focused on leading the Super Eagles to success in the next two World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively.
Rwanda and South Africa are ahead of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who are ranked third in Group C of the African competition. It is now inevitable that the team will win both games.
