MIDFIELDER Wilfred Ndidi has withdrawn from Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and has been replaced by Belgian-based Alhassan Yusuf, the country’s football federation said.
Ndidi, 27, was injured during his club Leicester City’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City on December 29, although details of the injury were not made clear by either his club or Nigeria.
Leicester teammate Kelechi Iheanacho is also struggling with injury but was still being assessed at Nigeria’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, the federation added in a statement.
Iheanacho, also 27, had missed the last two matches for his club, who are runaway leaders in the Championship in England.
The 23-year-old Yusuf is uncapped but helped Royal Antwerp to the Belgian league title last season and competed in all their Champions League group matches between September and December.
Nigeria opens its Cup of Nations campaign on January 14 with a Group A game against Equatorial Guinea. They also meet hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau in their group matches.
