By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers have suffered a major setback with the withdrawal of Jerome Akor Adams after the Sevilla striker picked up an injury.
The 25-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh during last weekend’s LaLiga clash against Getafe, which Sevilla lost at home.
The Spanish club confirmed on Wednesday that Adams will also miss their next fixture against Girona, extending his time on the sidelines.
Adams had been handed a maiden Super Eagles call-up by head coach Eric Chelle for the crucial qualifiers against Rwanda’s Amavubi and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
His injury represents a blow for both the player, who was set to make his international debut, and Nigerian fans eager to see him lead the attack after strong spells in France and Spain.
Since joining Sevilla from Ligue 1 side Montpellier in January, Adams has endured a difficult, injury-hit start to life in Spain. Though he has shown glimpses of his scoring instincts, recurring fitness issues have prevented him from establishing himself in LaLiga.
The three-time African champions will now be forced to explore alternative attacking options as they aim to revive their qualification hopes for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
