AFCON
Alhassan Yusuf Joins 2023 AFCON Squad As Replacement For Wilfred Ndidi
23-year-old Nigerian midfielder for Royal Antwerp, Alhassan Yusuf, has received a vote of confidence from Nigeria Football Federation president, Ibrahim Gusau, ahead of the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
The NFF President believes Yusuf will excel at the AFCON following his Barcelona performance: “We played matches with Ndidi and lost.”
Yusuf, who was included in the provisional AFCON team, has been called up by Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro to the main squad to replace Wilfred Ndidi, the star player for Leicester City, who may be out for up to three months with a muscle injury. Gasau Backs The 2019 Allsvenskan Newcomer Of The Year To Step Into The Big Shoes Of Ndidi.
Since Yusuf has not yet made his debut for the three-time African champions, he has not been challenged at the international level. Nonetheless, Gasau believes that Ndidi, who is perhaps the second most important player on the Super Eagles roster after Victor Osimhen, would be replaced by the Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year for 2019.
In support of Yusuf’s invitation, the head of the Nigerian Federation pointed to the defensive midfielder’s outstanding showing in Antwerp’s unexpected Champions League victory over Barcelona last month.
Gasau said: “I don’t have any tension because I know we played a lot of matches without Ndidi and we won a lot of matches without Ndidi. We played a lot of matches with Ndidi and lost unexpectedly, so it’s not about Ndidi; it’s about the national team of Nigeria.
“Yusuf, the young child who was recently brought in, is likewise performing incredibly well with his team. You can witness the performance he gave in the Champions League victory against Barcelona when they played against them. Since he is still a young lad, this could be his chance to perform a miracle. Remember that when we went to the AFCON in 2013, not everyone had faith in Mba, even though in the end, Mba was one of the players that worked a miracle?
“It’s better to concentrate on the Super Eagles than Ndidi because the team’s future with Yusuf is still unclear,” Gusau noted.
SportXparte understands that the Super Eagles have won three, tied four, and lost three of Nigeria’s previous 10 games in which Ndidi did not participate.
In Ndidi’s past 10 games for the national team, Nigeria have won seven, drawn one, and lost twice, supporting the notion that he is a vital member of the squad.
