Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has pulled out of the September 7 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers between Seychelles and Nigeria in Victoria.
Mikel called up the team’s manager Gernot Rohr to excuse himself from the crucial game, citing the fact that he had not fully regained the required fitness level needed to play the game. Mikel also informed the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, to disclose his reasons for opting out of the Seychelles game.
Mikel joins the long list of injury-hit players such as Tyronne Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi, both of who play at the right back of the Eagles’ defence line, especially at the 2018 World Cup held in Russia, where Nigeria was eliminated in the group stage.
Former captain of the Nigeria U-17 and U-20 team Musa Muhammed has been invited to replace Ebuehi and Abdullahi. Abdullahi now plays for Croatian side HNK Gorica.
Super Eagles of Nigeria will be playing its first competitive match 55-day after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia which ended on July 15.
The officials of the senior national team are putting finishing touches on their plans to open Eagles camp on September 1, in Abuja for an AFCON qualifier against Seychelles.
As gathered German Eagles handler, Gernot Rohr has joined the NFF officials in preparation the Eagles camp as Nigeria will fly out from Abuja to Seychelles for the September 9, game in continuation of the qualifying tournament for 2019 AFCON in Cameroon.
Rohr will announce his squad for the match in the new week, it will be the first match for the national team since they crashed out in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia in June.
Both Nigeria and Seychelles are without points after they lost their opening qualifiers.
The Eagles lost 2-0 at home to South Africa, while Libya pounded Seychelles 5-1 at home. The top two teams in this group will qualify for next year’s expanded AFCON.
