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Peter Akinbo
Nigerias on social media have questioned Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro over the exclusion of K.A.A Gent forward, Gift Orban, following injuries to Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Umar and Boniface have been ruled out of the 2023 African Cup of Nations with injuries and were replaced by Paul Onuachu and Terem Moffi for the competition which is scheduled to start on Saturday (today) in Ivory Coast.
Umar picked up a knee injury in Nigeria’s 2-0 friendly defeat to the Syli Stars of Guinea on Monday and in a Friday statement posted on X by the official Super Eagles account, it was announced that Onuachu will replace the 26-year-old.
“Sadiq Umar is out of the AFCON 2023 squad due to injury and Paul Onuachu replaces him,” they wrote.
Onuachu was at the AFCON 2019 finals in Egypt. However, due to an injury, the 29-year-old missed the previous edition of the competition in Cameroon. In 15 games for Trabzonspor this season, the forward has scored nine goals and three assists.
Nigerians took to social media platform, X, and queried Peseiro’s decision to not invite Gift Orban as a potential replacement even after he has had two injured strikers.
Timothy North believes that the Eagles would need an hustler like Orban who finished as Nigeria’s highest goalscorer in Europe in 2023.
“We need goal scorers please, we need hustlers. What did Gift Orban do to you? Y’all don’t see stats?” he wrote.
Another Nigerian, Efe Azuwa, echoed his question as he pondered Orbans exclusion writing, “What did Gift Orban do to you?”
Olaseni Feyisayo wondered if they didn’t know about Oraban’s exploits as he asked, “You guys don’t know about Gift Orban ?”
Another Nigerian on social media, Khalifa with the username, @AlamzyKhalifa believes that different type of striker like Orban was needed.
“Why isn’t Gift Orban drafted? We need a different type of 9 not this,” he wrote.
Another fan with the username, @Mazi_paska, was suprised that Orban wasn’t called up as he wrote, “Gift Orban not getting a look in.”