COVID-19 knocks out Okoye as Eagles depart for Kumasi

The Super Eagles will depart the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday (today) for Kumasi, venue of the first leg of their Qatar 2022 World Cup play-off against Ghana on Friday, with Sparta Rotterdam in-form goalkeeper Maduka Okoye the latest player to miss the clash after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi had been excluded from the potentially explosive clash after suffering a knee injury last Thursday in the Europa Conference League.

A total of 23 players were already in camp as of Tuesday, with just Leicester City forward Ademola Lookman and Enyimba’s John Noble, who was called in to replace Okoye, expected to arrive today before their departure.

The players already in camp are captain Ahmed Musa, William Troost- Ekong, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, Ola Aina, Frank Onyeka, Odion Ighalo, Daniel Akpeyi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Others are Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho, Moses Simon, Emmanuel Dennis, Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Innocent Bonke, Kenneth Omeruo, Zaidu Sanusi, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, Akinkunmi Amoo and Sadiq Umar.

The team had their first training Tuesday, with 19 players sweating it out at the newly refurbished Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

They will have another training session today, before setting out for Kumasi.

The Eagles are billed to have their first training and a feel of the Baba Yara Stadium on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s team arrived in Kumasi on Tuesday and had their first training at the Baba Yara Stadium. The players had converged on Accra on Monday, before proceeding to the venue of the first leg.

PUNCH/Nnenna.O