Super Eagle’s centre-forward Odion Ighalo could miss the crucial African Cup of Nation qualifying round clash between Nigeria and South Africa, after picking up an injury in Changchun Yatai’s 2-2 draw with Tianjin Quanjin in the Chinese Super League clash on Wednesday.
Ighalo was replaced barely 17th minutes into the game after picking up an injury on contact with Lasse Vibe.
The former Watford hitman, who was criticized by the Nigerian media following a disappointing outing at the 2018 World cup tournament in Russia, suddenly rediscovered his goal scoring form in the qualifying round games of the 2019 African Cup of Nation tournament.
Ighalo has scored six times in his last three outing for the Super Eagles with a hat-trick in his last international game on Nigerian soil.
He is also the second top scorer in the Chinese Super League with 21 goals only bettered by Shanghai SPIG’s Wu Lei who has hit the back of the net 26 times.
Nigeria who are in need of his services as they prepare for the crunch match day five clash with the Bafana-Bafana team at Johannesburg, will have to begin search for a hitman as his injury could rule him out of the contest. The Nigerian team has already lost Elche goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, after the Nigerian number shot-stopper was ruled by his club, while Enyimba’s Theophilus Afelokhai has been called to replace the injured goalie.
Nigeria top Group E with nine points, one more than Bafana Bafana who sit in second position with eight points. Libya occupy third position with four points, while Seychelles, at the bottom, have one point.
The Super Eagles will aim to avenge their 2-0 loss to the Bafana Bafana in the reverse fixture at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo last year