Victor Osimhen will not participate in the upcoming African Cup of Nations. The striker was part of the original Nigeria squad. He had yet to receive the final clearance following his facial fracture. Rumors about him dropping out started to trickle in Thursday night. The Super Eagles made it official by updating the team on Instagram.
Osimhen tested positive for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Naples for a check-up. He was supposed to get the green light to play from the surgeons. He will spend the quarantine in his home country. The visit will occur once he is out of isolation and back to Italy.
Even though Osimhen will not partake in the international competition, he is highly unlikely to be available for the first two matches of 2022 against Juventus and Sampdoria. He had been practicing on the side with a special mask before the break. He has not featured since the Inter game on November 21st. Napoli have won just twice since his injury, sliding considerably in the standings.
Before the latest development, sources suggested Napoli could sue the Nigerian federation because they called Osimhen up while he was injured. The Super Eagles replaced him with Olympiacos striker Henry Onyekuru. The Partenopei star has hit the net 9 times in 11 matches this season, scoring 5 goals in Serie A and 4 in Europa League matches. The initial timetable for his return was three months, which would rule him out till February, but he was on track to beat it.