Victor Moses Stranded In Dubai As Iran Conflict Disrupts Travel To Kazakhstan

Former Nigeria winger Victor Moses has been left stranded in Dubai after tensions linked to the Iran conflict disrupted air travel across the Middle East, delaying his arrival at Kazakh club, FC Kaisar.

The Kazakhstan Premier League side confirmed that Moses and fellow Nigerian forward Imoh Ezekiel both missed their opening league match of the season against FK Zhenys on March 8 because of the travel complications.

Moses had been preparing to return to Kazakhstan to join his new club when a rocket reportedly landed near an airport in the region, forcing the closure of surrounding airspace and the suspension of several flights, including routes bound for Kazakhstan.

The disruption has left the former Chelsea F.C. winger unable to depart Dubai, preventing him from linking up with his new teammates ahead of the start of the league campaign.

Head coach Andrey Ferapontov said the club is closely monitoring the situation while waiting for both Nigerian players to arrive.

“We’re expecting two more foreign players. You’re probably familiar with the situation with Moses and Ezekiel,” Ferapontov said in comments reported by Vesti.

“For various reasons, they couldn’t make it to the championship. Moses can’t fly out of Dubai due to the political situation.

“We’re waiting for him. When they rejoin, we’ll have a full squad and we’ll have a good idea of their fitness.”

Naija News reports that Moses joined FC Kaisar in January on a one-year deal after leaving Luton Town F.C., extending a career that has taken him across several European leagues.

The 35-year-old began his professional career at Crystal Palace F.C. before spells with Wigan Athletic F.C. and Chelsea, where he won the Premier League title during the 2016-2017 season.

He also featured for Liverpool F.C., Stoke City F.C. and West Ham United F.C. on loan, and had spells abroad with Fenerbahçe S.K., Inter Milan and Spartak Moscow.

At international level, Moses made 38 appearances for the Nigeria national football team between 2012 and 2018, scoring 12 goals and playing a key role in the country’s triumph at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ezekiel, who was part of Nigeria’s squad that won bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics, is also expected to link up with FC Kaisar after leaving Albanian side KF Pogradeci.