Nigerian Players: Abiodun Undergoes Hip Surgery, Yusuf Faces Six-Week Injury Layoff

Super Falcons midfielder, Deborah Abiodun, has undergone successful surgery on a hip injury that ended her 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season with Washington Spirit.

Abiodun, 22, confirmed the surgery on Friday, September 18, in an Instagram post featuring pictures taken after the operation. The Nigeria international also encouraged younger players facing a similar setback.

“It’s tough sometimes, but you gotta keep going,” she wrote. “Thank you, everyone, for your kind words and prayers. First slide is there to motivate players, especially younger ones that might be in a similar situation like myself. I was scared and nervous; it gets better, hang in there.”

Washington Spirit placed Abiodun on their season-ending injury list on September 7 after initially listing her on the 45-day injury list. She last appeared in the club’s 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pride on August 23.

Abiodun has made nine appearances for Spirit this season, including four starts, and played 320 minutes. She joined the club in January 2025 and has since made 21 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

The injury will rule her out of the Super Falcons’ second-round 2028 Olympic qualifiers against Comoros on October 9 and 13. If Nigeria reach the third round, scheduled for February 23 to March 6, 2027, Abiodun could return depending on her recovery.

She featured in four matches at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where Nigeria lost 3-2 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals. She also played in the 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup qualifying play-off.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles midfielder Alhassan Yusuf is expected to miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury during New England Revolution’s 2-1 win over New York City FC. The 26-year-old has already missed one match for his club and is expected to miss several more.

The injury explains his absence from Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau on September 25 and 29. Chelle also named a separate squad for Nigeria’s friendly against Russia next month.

Yusuf had been tipped to make the squad after a solid season in Major League Soccer (MLS). He made his Super Eagles debut at the 2023 AFCON in 2024, starting the 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea before going off injured.

He was also part of Nigeria’s squad that won the 2026 Unity Cup, impressing in the semi-final victory over Zimbabwe before scoring twice in the final to help Nigeria secure a fourth consecutive title.