AFCON 2023: Cote d’Ivoire vs Nigeria: Peseiro sweating over Osimhen, Yusuf

Nigeria’s Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro attends a press conference at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan . Photograph: Issouf Sanogo / AFP

The Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Jose Peseiro, says Victor Osimhen is likely to play against host Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday in Abidjan.
Peseiro said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abidjan.

He said the Napoli FC of Italy striker complained when he arrived for training on Monday, but the coach expressed hope that the African footballer of the year would be fit to face Cote D’Ivoire.

The Portuguese said he wasn’t sure if Alhassan Yusuf would be available as he had gone for scan and the result was being awaited.

“When he told me, I prefered him doing nothing, it’s prevention, only that. But for Yusuf he left the match injured.

“He is doing scan now, no reality yet of what is happening to him, I hope nothing bad happened,” Peseiro said.

NAN reports that the Super Eagles came from a goal down on Sunday to force Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the competition.

The Super Eagles will have OC Nice FC of France striker, Terem Moffi, Leicester City of England playmaker, Kelechi Iheanacho, to choose from when the three-time African champion face the host, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, on Thursday.