Nigeria Players Abroad
Umar Sadiq injury puts Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers in doubt
Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq is a major doubt for Nigeria’s September Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau after suffering a suspected hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old forward started for his club against newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, scoring his team’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat.
However, the injury is expected to keep Sadiq out for an extended period. Analytica Fantasy reports that the problem is likely to be hamstring-related and could sideline him for up to two months.
A return before late October or early November is not expected at the earliest, which would rule Sadiq out of Nigeria’s upcoming qualifying fixtures.
Nigeria are scheduled to face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau during the September international window as their campaign to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations continues. Sadiq’s potential absence gives Eric Chelle another selection issue to consider as he prepares his squad.
The striker has not been a regular member of Chelle’s Super Eagles teams, meaning the injury may have a limited effect on Nigeria’s attacking options.
Chelle still has several forwards available to him, with Victor Osimhen, Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare, Cyriel Dessers and Rafiu Durosinmi among the alternatives.
Sadiq’s latest setback comes after he was given a starting opportunity for his club against Deportivo La Coruna. He scored Nigeria’s only goal in the match, but his side ultimately suffered a 3-1 defeat against the newly promoted team.
The nature of the injury has not been confirmed beyond the suspected hamstring problem, while the projected recovery period means Sadiq could miss a significant part of the season. If the anticipated timeline is correct, he would not be expected to return until late October or early November.
That would leave the forward unavailable to Chelle for the September fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. The Nigeria head coach is nevertheless able to call on a broad group of attacking players, including Osimhen, Adams, Arokodare, Dessers and Durosinmi.
Sadiq’s involvement with the Super Eagles has been limited under Chelle, so Nigeria’s coach is not facing a shortage of experienced attacking choices. Even so, the injury removes another option from consideration as the team prepares for the next stage of its Africa Cup of Nations qualifying programme.
The Super Eagles will now monitor Sadiq’s recovery while Chelle assesses the forwards available for selection ahead of the September window.
