Salim Fago Lawal has been ruled out of the upcoming Unity Cup due to injury, in a setback for the Nigeria national team.
The 23-year-old forward suffered the injury in March during Viktoria Plzeň’s 2–0 win over Bohemians Praha and has been sidelined ever since. The issue also kept him out of Super Eagles’ recent international friendlies against Iran and Jordan.
Czech regional outlet Plzeňský deník reports that Lawal has not recovered in time and is now expected to miss the rest of the season.
Lawal was part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where the three time African champions earned a bronze medal, and his absence will be felt as the team prepares for the Unity Cup.
The tournament begins on Tuesday, 26 May, in Charlton, with Nigeria set to face the Zimbabwe national football team in the opening semi-final.
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.
