Nigeria’s senior men’s national team have been handed fresh injury worries following their Group C campaign at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with Ryan Alebiosu and Cyriel Dessers both facing uncertain spells on the sidelines.
Debutant Ryan Alebiosu sustained a deep cut on his right leg during Nigeria’s latest outing against Uganda on Tuesday. Medical staff are closely monitoring the situation, but there is uncertainty over whether the defender will be fit enough to feature again before the end of the tournament.
His availability will depend on how quickly the wound heals and the risk of further complications.
Meanwhile, striker Cyriel Dessers is battling a thigh problem. The forward is scheduled to undergo a scan on Wednesday which will determine the severity of the injury and how long he could be ruled out.
Further updates are expected once the results of the scan are known.
The injury update comes at a time when Nigeria are building momentum after a perfect group-stage run, and head coach Eric Chelle will be hoping the issues do not disrupt the team’s preparations ahead of the knockout rounds.
The Super Eagles’ medical team is expected to provide more clarity in the coming days as Nigeria intensify preparations for their Round of 16 fixture.
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.
