The Nigeria’s senior men’s national team have suffered a setback ahead of their international friendly against the Jordan national football team, with only 21 players available for Tuesday’s encounter.
Defenders Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi, alongside goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, have all departed the team’s camp for different reasons.
Bassey, Ajayi and Okoye withdrew due to injury concerns, further limiting options for head coach Eric Chelle. Okoye, who features for Udinese Calcio, is reported to have suffered a thigh injury.
Onyemaechi’s exit, however, was on personal grounds after he was granted permission to leave camp following the birth of his child.
The situation was confirmed by Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe in an official update.
Despite the absences, Chelle is expected to continue preparations with the remaining players, as the team held a training session on Monday to fine-tune tactics ahead of the clash.
The three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions will take on Jordan in what remains an important preparatory fixture, even as the late squad changes pose a challenge for the technical crew.
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.
