Eagles ‘ In Long Wait’ For Moffi As Umar Joins Injury List
Elephants Face Guinea- Bissau Test Today
LESS than 24 hours to Super Eagles first group match against Equatorial Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations, striker Terem Moffi is still not a vailable. He is scheduled to play for his club, Nice, this weekend before he heads to Cote d’ivoire.
The Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Abidjan today, is being held mid- season and FIFA rules mean clubs must give up their pl ayers for the continental championship even if they then miss crucial domestic games over the next weeks.
Sometimes, compromises are reached. However , like Andre Onana staying at Manchester United to play against Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow Sunday before flying out to Cote d’ivoire, will likely miss Cameroun’s opening game against Ghana on Monday.
Moffi was invited to replace the injured Victor Boniface.
Meanwhile, there is apprehension in the Super Eagles’ camp as another player, Sodiq Umar, joined Nigeria’s growing injury list. Umar has become the third player to withdraw from Jose Paseiro’s Eagles squad for the AFCON.
The in- form Real Sociedad striker suffered a knee injury during a pre- AFCON friendly against Guinea and will be sidelined for at least three weeks. Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Boniface are on the list of unavailable players.
Nigeria will face Equatorial Guinea tomorrow, Sunday.
The host nation, the Elephants of Cote d’ivoire will face Guinea- Bissau for the opening match today at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations will further accelerate the countr y’s impressive rebound since its civil war ended in 2011, the Ivorian government hopes. By its own admission, the government has invested at least $ 1 billion on hosting the tournament, ha ving built four new stadiums while renovating two others.
In addition, airports, roads, hospitals and hotels ha ve been either constructed or upgraded in the five cities that will stage matches; Abidjan, Bouake, Korhogo , San Pedro and the capital Yamoussoukro.
I n the W est African nation’s biggest rebuilding exercise since the civil wars of 2002- 2007 and 2010- 11, some of the massive spend stems from a $ 3.5bn loan taken out, external with the International Monetar y Fund ( IMF) last April.
Yet with Ivory Coast ranked as the world’s 138th richest nation out of 190 by the IMF.