With most Premier League clubs kicking against their players flying out for international duty later this month, the Super Eagles could be without Leicester City pair of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho as well as Everton ace Alex Iwobi and West Bromwich Albion defender Semi Ajayi for forthcoming AFCON qualifiers.
Nigeria is a ‘Red Zone’ as regards the Coronavirus Pandemic and a player who flies out there will have to go through a mandatory 10-day quarantine on return to England.
FIFA have already handed clubs a waiver that they will not be sanctioned should they not release their players for international duty on health grounds.
Several top Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United have already announced they will not release players to the ‘Red Zone’.
Should the Nigeria Premier League contingent stay away for the AFCON qualifiers, coach Gernot Rohr will be forced to call up several uncapped players in their place.
Nigeria need only a point to qualify for the 2021 AFCON to be played in Cameroon next year.
They face Benin on March 27 in Porto Novo and three days later they host Lesotho in Lagos in the final qualifiers.
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