Wilfred Ndidi Ruled Out of AFCON, Alhassan Yusuf Named Replacement

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has been ruled out of the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, according to a statement by Babafemi Raji, the Super Eagles media officer. The Leicester City midfielder will be replaced by Alhassan Yusuf.

Ndidi missed Leicester City’s recent 4-1 home win over Huddersfield Town, and after the match, Enzo Maresca, the club’s manager, mentioned that both Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho had suffered knocks. While no specific timeline for their injuries was provided, it has now been confirmed that Ndidi won’t participate in AFCON.

Alhassan Yusuf, who plays for Royal Antwerp, has been named as Ndidi’s replacement. The 23-year-old was part of the Eagles’ 40-man provisional squad for the competition.

The statement from the Super Eagles media officer also mentioned that Iheanacho “is still hopeful to join the team” for the AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.

Wilfred Ndidi joins Taiwo Awoniyi on the list of Eagles players ruled out of AFCON due to injury. Awoniyi was previously ruled out in November because of a groin injury.

In preparation for the AFCON, the Super Eagles are currently in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a one-week training camp. They will return to Lagos on January 9 before heading to Ivory Coast on January 10.

The Eagles are placed in Group A alongside Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. Their first match will be against Equatorial Guinea, followed by games against Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage. The AFCON tournament kicks off on January 13.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook