Nigeria have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) round of 16 game against Cameroon.
The Super Eagles will face Rigobert Song’s side on Saturday, January 27, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium for a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Ahead of the clash, Nigeria have welcomed two of their important players back to training after they were unable to feature in the previous matches due to injuries.
Vice-captain William Troost-Ekong and midfielder Alhassan Yusuf have both returned to training and could play a part against the Indomitable Lions in the last 16 clash.
Injury boost for Nigeria ahead of Cameroon clash
The return of the duo comes as a huge boost to Nigeria, who have been unlucky with injuries before and during AFCON 2024.
The Super Eagles have missed the services of midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Victor Boniface, both of whom were entirely ruled out of the tournament after picking up long-term injuries.
Jose Peseiro was also forced to shuffle his pack in the middle of the park when Yusuf suffered a knock in the opening game against Equatorial Guinea and subsequently missed the matches against Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau.
Troost-Ekong, a key figure at the back and scorer of the winning goal against the Elephants, also carried a hamstring injury from that game and was, therefore, unavailable for selection in the Super Eagles’ final group game against Guinea-Bissau.
The returns of Troost-Ekong, who has captained the team for much of the tournament, and Yusuf, is a huge boost to the Super Eagles as they prepare to take on Cameroon in the Round of 16.
Nigeria vs Cameroon – a history of Super Eagles heartbreak
Nigeria and their neighbours have a chequered history in the AFCON, with the Super Eagles losing three finals to the Indomitable Lions in the past.
Peseiro and his side can, however, draw inspiration from the fact that they are currently in better form and defeated Cameroon 3-2 the last time the two teams faced each other in the AFCON.
