With Victor Osimhen joining injured players such as Moses Simon, Tyrone Ebuehi, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Zaidu Sanusi on the sidelines, newly appointed Super Eagles Head Coach Finidi George is thinking about how to approach the two World Cup qualifiers against South Africa in Uyo and Benin Republic in Abidjan next month.
Osimhen is the latest Super Eagles player to sustain an injury while on club duty with Napoli. The reigning African Player of the Year did not train with his teammates on Monday in Naples.
Napoli authorities revealed to Italian media yesterday that Osimhen had just completed medical treatment for a muscle injury, which means he might be a doubt for the game against Fiorentina with two games remaining in the Serie A season.
Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan is also a big question for the World Cup qualifiers due to a hamstring injury.
On Monday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) presented Finidi on a one-year deal. With only three weeks until the first game against South Africa, he may be without three important players from the Super Eagles' 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad.
In addition, left-back Bruno Onyemaechi has been ruled out for the rest of the season owing to a knee injury. With the Super Eagles also concerned about the fitness of Zaidu Sanusi and Moses Simon.
Finidi, the new head coach, hopes to lead the Super Eagles to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first time since 2018.
"My first goal is to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by winning the upcoming matches against South Africa and Benin Republic," George told NFF.com.
He emphasised the necessity of preparation for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, demonstrating his dedication to improving the team's performance in accordance with his contract with the NFF.
