Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, has revealed that the results of a scan to determine the extent of Victor Osimhen’s hamstring injury, sustained in Friday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia, will be available today (Sunday).
The Napoli striker left the game in the 55th minute due to a hamstring injury in his right leg but managed to walk off the field without assistance. Peseiro expressed his disappointment at Osimhen’s injury and is considering sending him back to Napoli for further evaluation, emphasizing the player’s importance to both his club and the national team.
Peseiro said, “He wasn’t at his best; we’ll evaluate whether to send him back to Naples. We always work in coordination with the clubs, so we must have respect, just as they have for the national teams. Our responsibility is also the physical form of our players. Osimhen is a fantastic player, Napoli needs him, and so do we. So it’s everyone’s responsibility.”
The coach also hinted that regardless of the injury’s extent, he won’t risk Osimhen in Monday’s other friendly against Mozambique.
In the friendly match against Saudi Arabia, which ended in a draw, Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Samuel Chukwueze had chances in the first half to put the Super Eagles ahead, but the Saudis took a shock lead on the hour mark. Nigeria equalized thanks to Victor Boniface and Kelechi Iheanacho, with Iheanacho scoring the winning goal eight minutes before the end of the match. This friendly took place after the Super Eagles learned their group stage opponents for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.