By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles could be without two key players for their upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 Group D fixture against Sudan, with goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena and defender Abdularafiu Taiwo both nursing injuries.
Ozoemena, the team’s first-choice shot-stopper, missed Nigeria’s group opener against Senegal due to a knee injury and remains a doubt for Tuesday’s crucial encounter at the Amman Stadium in Zanzibar. He was replaced by Lawal Mustapha in the 1–1 draw.
Meanwhile, Taiwo sustained a knock during the second half of the same match and was forced off, with Harrison Uzondu coming on in his place.
Both players sat out the team’s recovery session on Wednesday morning and are now in a race to be fit in time for the second group match.
Nigeria will be looking to secure a vital win against Sudan to boost their chances of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament, which features only players active in their domestic leagues.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
