Sports
Super Eagles Coach In Dilemma As Key Players Unfit For Guinea- Bissau Game
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is facing an absolute tactical nightmare after revealing that teenage sensation George Ilenikhena and his other reliable players are major doubts for Tuesday’s clash against Guinea-Bissau.
The 20-year-old forward, who filled Victor Osimhen’s heavy shoes with a crucial debut goal against Madagascar, is struggling with a sudden fitness issue.
To make matters worse, Chelle confirmed that two or three other unnamed players have been hit by sudden illness in camp.
Just when Nigerian football fans were starting to breathe a sigh of relief over the team’s depth, the injury gods have struck the Super Eagles camp at the absolute worst moment.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday evening’s decisive AFCON 2027 Group L qualifier against the Wild Dogs, a visibly concerned Eric Chelle delivered a devastating fitness update.
The biggest talking point is the immediate availability of George Ilenikhena. The explosive young forward had the entire nation singing his praises on Friday night after smashing home a vital equaliser on his debut to set up Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory in Uyo.
Now, his chances of anchoring the frontline on Matchday 2 are hanging by a very thin thread.
Chelle pulled no punches about the selection headache he is currently navigating, admitting that a final decision on the former AS Monaco striker will have to be delayed until the absolute last minute.
“We have to manage, maybe George, he has a little something, so we have to manage what we see at the last training session too,” Chelle explained anxiously to journalists.
The tactical damage doesn’t stop with the forward line either, as a sudden wave of illness has also swept through the hotel rooms in Bissau.
“After that, we have 2 or 3 players that are a little sick, so we see, we’ll see after the training session before tomorrow.”
With Victor Osimhen already completely missing from the international break due to ongoing treatment, losing Ilenikhena leaves the Super Eagles critically short on natural, in-form target men.
The host side, Guinea-Bissau, is already flying high on confidence after thoroughly dismantling Tanzania, and they will smell absolute blood following this medical update.
Chelle will now be heavily forced to alter his tactics. The crisis drops immense pressure onto the shoulders of LASK forward Moses Usor, who hammered home the spectacular solo winner off the bench against Madagascar, alongside Venezia hitman Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare to step up and rescue the nation’s qualification campaign on hostile away territory.
The Nigeria Premier Football League ,NPFL, has fined Doma United ₦5.25m for failing to provide adequate and effective security during their Matchday Nine encounter against Kun Khalifat FC.
The match, played at the Pantami Stadium last Saturday, ended in a 1-1 draw, but was marred by misconduct from home supporters after the final whistle.
According to reports, Doma United supporters attacked Kun Khalifat FC technical adviser, Obinna Uzoho, and engaged in hostile conduct towards match officials and members of the visiting team, actions deemed capable of bringing the game into disrepute.
As part of the sanctions, the Savannah Scorpions have been ordered to play their next three home matches behind closed doors following repeated security breaches.
Meanwhile, the match commissioner has been recommended for demotion to the lower league over alleged dereliction of duty, inadequate supervision and insufficient match reporting.
The NPFL has also warned Doma United to strengthen their security measures and educate their supporters on acceptable conduct, cautioning that any future breach of the league’s rules and regulations could attract more severe sanctions.
Doma United have 48 hours from the date of notification to appeal the sanctions.
According to report, Barcelona’s entire squad remains stranded at Barcelona Airport due to a delay to their flight to Paris.
The report states that Barcelona’s travel plans continue to be affected by weather and airport disruptions. The players remain grounded after their flight to Paris was originally scheduled to depart at 10:30 AM.
According to the report, the delay is due to heavy fog in Paris, which has disrupted air traffic and affected Barcelona’s flight.
Barcelona’s departure has been delayed until 11:50 AM, one hour and 20 minutes later than originally planned. The delay has further disrupted the team’s schedule on a crucial day, putting the training session scheduled for 6:30 PM at risk.
Following their 5-2 away win over Betis in their last LaLiga match, Barcelona’s squad was forced to spend the night in Seville due to bad weather and returned to Barcelona only on Sunday. The situation had already affected the team’s training schedule, with the planned Sunday morning on-field session replaced by a gym recovery session.
Paris Saint-Germain will host Barcelona in Champions League group stage on Tuesday.
Sporting Lagos secured their second away win of the season with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Plateau United at the New Jos Stadium.
Aliyu Baba gave the visitors an early lead in the 10th minute, but Plateau United fought back, with Victor Dawa scoring twice before the break to put the hosts ahead.
Sporting Lagos restored parity eight minutes into the second half through Victor Samuel, setting up a tense finish.
Plateau United were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute after Alex Aghahowa was sent off for a foul.
Sporting Lagos capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Jacob Aondona scoring the decisive goal three minutes later to seal all three points for the visitors.
Elsewhere, Nasarawa United recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory over Inter Lagos at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, Lagos. Kelechi Ogbodo and Ugochukwu were on target for the visitors.
At the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano Pillars edged Katsina United 1-0, with Yahaya Ibrahim scoring the decisive goal to secure victory for the home side.
In Minna, Niger Tornadoes claimed a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City. Nafiu Obalowu opened the scoring three minutes before the half-hour mark before Bashir Musa doubled the hosts’ advantage.
Basit Ayinde pulled one back for Ikorodu City deep into stoppage time, but Niger Tornadoes held on to claim the victory.
Meanwhile, nine-time champions Enyimba were held to a goalless draw by Warri Wolves in a closely contested encounter.
Full Results
Tornadoes 2-1 Ikorodu City
Inter Lagos 0-2 Nasarawa Utd
Enyimba 0-0 Wolves
Kano Pillars 1-0 Katsina Utd
Plateau Utd 2-3 Sporting Lagos
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