Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman will miss Tuesday’s AFCON 2027 qualifier against Tanzania in Zanzibar after a scan found a sprained knee ligament, a setback that takes Nigeria’s chief creator out of a trip that matters for the last qualifying place in Group L.
The Atlético Madrid winger went down late in the first half of Friday’s 3-1 win in Uyo and was replaced by Moses Simon. Before that, he had set up Alhassan Yusuf’s opener inside two minutes.
Eric Chelle had played the knock down on the night, as Soccernet reported after the match. Saturday’s scan changed the picture.
What the Super Eagles have confirmed
Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe gave the update in a statement on Saturday, as reported by Complete Sports.
Scan has revealed Ademola Lookman suffered a sprain in his knee ligament during yesterday’s match.
Lookman is due to return to Atlético for further assessment and treatment, while the rest of the squad fly to Zanzibar on Sunday. No timescale for his recovery has been given.
Analysis: Chelle loses his outlet, not his platform
The timing is awkward, but Friday’s win gave Nigeria some breathing room, and Tolu Arokodare’s brace showed the attack can score without Lookman finishing the moves himself.
What Chelle loses is the release valve. Lookman is the player who carries the ball out of pressure on the left, and his assist in Uyo came from exactly that kind of early, direct running. On a ground where Chelle’s CHAN side lost 4-0 to Sudan, as we explained on Saturday, that outlet matters more away from home.
Moses Simon is the obvious like-for-like option, with the experience to manage a hostile away night. If Chelle wants more goal threat, he could instead pair Arokodare with Akor Adams and ask the full-backs to supply the width. Either way, a positive result in Zanzibar would keep Nigeria on course in the Group L run-in.
For Atlético, the hope will be that a sprain means weeks rather than months. For Nigeria, the next question is who Chelle trusts on the left on Tuesday.
