Super Eagles trio, Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina and Tyronne Ebuehi are doubtful for Nigeria’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Liberia and Cape Verde, Completesports.com reports.
This is due to the Lega Serie A’s decision not to release players for international matches amid Covid-19 restrictions.
The Lega Serie A took the decision on Wednesday after the Premier League and LaLiga announced earlier they will support any club that won’t release its player for international duty.
The clubs are up in arms over the potential of losing their players for 10 days of quarantine if they are allowed to travel to ‘red’ zones for their international matches.
Even if they are vaccinated, the players will still have to self-isolate for up to 10 days after returning from some countries, including practically all of South America.
Read Also: Liberia Coach Butler Shuns Training Ahead Of Super Eagles Clash
“Unlike FIFA’s decision to not extend exceptions for call-ups to countries where quarantine upon re-entry is mandatory, we find these would create competitive disparity between teams who allow their players to travel to these countries,”reads a statement by Lega Serie A.
It means Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr may be able to invite Osimhen, Aina and Ebuehi for the games against the Lone Stars and Blue Sharks.
Already, there are concerns over the availability of the England-based stars for both matches.
Watford trio, William Troost-Ekong, Oghenekaro Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis as well as Leicester City duo, Wlifred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are all set to miss out.
Alex Iwobi, who plays for Everton and Brentford’s Frank Onyeka are also doubtful.
The Super Eagles will come up against Liberia on September 3 and then travel to Cape Verde for their matchday two fixtures four days later.
By Adeboye Amosu
8 Comments
CSN, stop confusing people, Nigeria is in amber list, which means no quarantine required as long as the players has been vaccinated and taking the swab test, but cape verde is in red list. However, the boys from UK and Italy can honor the Liberia match in 9ja.
Oga,both ambo and red…you must go for that 10-day quarantine when you enter UK…I live in London..
I wonder they keep making the smar mistake. Are there editors reading our comments. They evn pick some of these stories on owngoal and just rewrite. This is poor journalism.
They should cancel the 2022 world cup in Qatar it’s unfair when some teams can’t have access to it’s best players,they should annul so that countries like England will be affected from a problem they created.
God bless you @ Greenturf. Very well supported. FIFA should cancel the world Cup. It is, by this cynical action of countries like UK, Spain etc lost its respect/glamour. CAF should start thinking seriously about CHAN. They must do everything to expand its glamour. One of such new innovations, should be to incorporate all Africa based footballers. England is such selfish country, always living in fools paradise, believing other nationals must follow their lead. FIFA can even ban all countries whose federation is stopping their players and threaten all players involved with a ban as well. Players being threatened with ban with definitely affect the premier League, as star players will start shunning premiership.
Thanks @Glory,absolutely..
Apparently,countries shouldn’t travel to England to play football matches in the European world cup playoffs because England is in the red zone and high risk!
It’s not one rule for you and another for others!
When we say Oyibo people just the pretend because we now live in a world that people could put you under x-ray from afar and call you out for bigotry… Imagine their attitude towards the whole of Africa again… as if players are not even till date testing positive for Corona in same England and Italy. Person wey know the mindset of the majority of those Europeans go the always use fairness follow their matter… A place that up till around 1990 you can count the number of Africans playing their league…
Glory you nailed it. Fifa should help us start the cause.