Brighton winger Zadok Yohanna will miss Nigeria’s second-leg encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second qualifying round of the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations after sustaining an injury in the first leg.
Naija News gathered that the 19-year-old picked up the injury during Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat to DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on Friday, November 13, and was forced off the pitch.
Yohanna has since returned to England for further medical assessment and treatment, ruling him out of the return fixture.
His absence is another setback for the Olympic Eagles, who must overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso.
Egypt will host the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, which will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has urged his players to remain focused ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) encounter against Tanzania, warning them against repeating the mistakes that led to their previous 3-0 away defeat to Guinea-Bissau.
The Franco-Malian said the team had learnt from that setback and must maintain their winning mentality.
“We played badly against Guinea-Bissau. We spoke to the players after the game, and our motivation was to bounce back. We played under pressure,” he explained.
“That’s football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When you lose, you have to correct your mistakes and focus on the next game.
“This victory is good, but it is important that we think about the next game, which we must also win.”
