‘I am confused also’ – Peseiro reacts to discrepancy between Nigeria, Real Sociedad medical report on Sadiq 

Nigeria manager Jose Peseiro was on media duties on Wednesday morning ahead of his side’s highly anticipated 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group A game against Ivory Coast and one of the controversial topics he spoke on was the withdrawal of Sadiq Umar from the final squad list. 

The Nigeria Football Federation handed a call-up to Paul Onuachu as a replacement for Sadiq who suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Super Eagles’ final pre-AFCON friendly with Guinea but insisted on playing through the pain barrier. 

However, Sadiq has miraculously recovered and has been named in the provisional squad for Real Sociedad’s Copa del Rey match against Osasuna on Wednesday night.

Coach Imanol Alguacil explained at his pre-match press conference that Real Sociedad doctors did not detect any injury to Sadiq after the relevant tests were conducted.

The original prognosis of the injury given by Nigerian Federation’s medics was that Sadiq would be sidelined for at least fifteen days but an exact time frame was not specified. 

Peseiro admitted that he was surprised at Sadiq ‘s involvement with Real Sociedad following his departure from the national team.

Asked to clarify what happened with the departure of Sadiq from the Nigeria camp due to an injury that would make him unavailable for selection for the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations, Peseiro answered: “I am confused also. The report from the medical test is that he’s injured and he cannot recover in fifteen days at least or more time. No one told me he could recover in five, ten, 15 days, one month, two months. 

“The report went to his club and the club said he must come for recovery, even they said there’s a possibility to do a surgery.

“We did a meeting with the player and our staff, the player wanted to stay but in the last day to replace the players, we decided to replace him.

“I am happy because he has recovered well, I’m sad because he’s not here to help us.”

 

Sadiq netted on his full debut for the Super Eagles in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations match against Guinea-Bissau but fired blanks in his next eight games. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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