Alhassan Yusuf is expected to sit out Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash with Guinea-Bissau.
The encounter is slated for the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
Yusuf sustained a thigh injury in Nigeria’s opening fixture against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea.
The Royal Antwerp star missed the Super Eagles 1-0 victory against hosts Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday.
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The midfielder is yet to recover fully from the injury and will not feature against the Djurtus.
The 23-year-old trained separately from his teammates on Friday.
The Super Eagles occupy second position in Group A with four points from two games.
Jose Peseiro’s side need just a point fron their last game to seal a a place in the next round.
By Adeboye Amosu in Abidjan
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34 Comments
Even if he is ready, I would have advised that the coach should reserve him for the knockout stage.
I’m very proud of him.
Said it before the CV match that Yusuf shd take his time to be fully recovered, DM is a risky and very demanding position on the pitch, I won’t like him to use unfit legs to tarnish his first game reputation, good we 80% if not 99% certain of been in the next round, so we still gonna see much of you son.
Have tried to watch all the 19 matches played so far at the ongoing AFCON, either live or a re-watch and I’m yet to see a single ref.or VAR error, I think we need give all the referees and linesmen there flower here and the EPL and La liga need to learn from us this time, trust me bar corruption and greediness africa will get it right one day, interesting AFCON with lots of good matches and beautiful goals.
Good point about VAR, Femi.
I’m also pleasantly surprised.
Valid point they are spot on and this has helped enjoy the game
I know we’ve passed that stage, but it’s really sad that the coach tool only 5 midfielders to this tournament. I’m sure when people were saying this when the list was released, it sounded to them like people were just out to antagonise the coach and the NFF. Now all it takes is one more injury in that area of the pitch for a full blown crisis.
27 places were available, with 5 substitutes allowed per match; and the chose 25 players and only 5 midfielders. I just tire for these people walahi.
Same here. The selection of referees we’ve seen so far is superb. No controversial decisions, and the VAR verification playback videos give better varied angles than even what we see in the EPL, making ref decisions generally more transparent. Good one for Africa.
This is true. VAR is good.
What a classy player. Pure dedication and passion for the game. Iwobi should be ready for the bench.
Aaauuch! This is not good o. Yusuf is a different breed, a different kind of player. His contribution is instantly felt when it comes to team work but runs the midfield majorly alone. Yusuf is an engine whose absence is a function the mid field input. With his seamless stamina, Yusuf performed well in his first game hoping he will be available in the 2nd round.
That must be a serious injury which has ruled him out of the S/Eagles vs The Djurtus encounter. Recover soonest our new discovery.
Obviously, Yusuf is devastated but I can’t wait to see Eagles demolish Guinea Bissau on Monday.
I don’t see a need to change a winning team anyway Start the Same players but be more attack minded against Bissau. The changes instead of Onuachu bring in Moffi and instead of Simon bring on Iheanacho for Zaidu or fins a way to start Kelechi.. Yusuf can be saved for knockouts
@pomoei @deo @Dr drey @glory @Greenhurt etc. I stand to be corrected but I believe this Senegalese team is beatable. I also disagree with the fact that their players are doing better in Europe than others in Africa. I’ll be using a Nigeria as a case study here especially in the last two seasons in Europe.
Again I stand to be corrected with stats and facts.
The reason for this is that I have not seen that super super quality in the Senegalese team. Maybe they are a very efficient side. They convert chances. They defend well. They have sadio mane who is a big inspiration to the team (something we lacked in eagles presently). And they are lucky!
About luck. Though I don’t believe in this in football. But what do you call how they got lucky to scale through the group stages at the last afcon. They just picked up in the knock out stages. Well they won in the final against Egypt. A bit of luck again!!!!
World cup qualifiers. In the last match I think against Egypt, luck was also in their side too.
Now to the players in the last two seasons in Europe.
The 5 major leagues.
This season in Germany is there a Senegalese that’s has effective than Boniface? I stand to be corrected.
In England last season is there a Senegalese that scored more goals than awoniyi. Maybe mane before he left for Saudi. But we know he had issues before he left. Is there any other Senegalese that had more goals output than awoniyi?
In Italy, definitely Oshimen is the king all around. The 8th best in the world and the best in Africa. So no Senegalese here can compete.
In Spain, I am not sure. I need to be informed here. But before chukuwueze left for Italy he was a European champion.
In France, I also need help here. But I know Simon was adjudged as the best assist specialist. Then I know of the goal output of moffi and akor Adams. Maybe we have Senegalese that have bigger goals output here. I stand to be corrected.
In Europe, we have seen what orban Boniface have done in lower European tournaments. Desser and bassey were even in the final of one of the tournaments.
So if I am correct here what then can make people refer to the team as having the most talented players. We even have the most valuable team.
What’s the strength of the Senegalese team. What is their weakness.
Luck smiled again in their first match against the Gambia. They played with one man advantage. Against Cameroon, despite the fact that Cameron were babyish in the defense but they nearly turned the tide around. That first goal by Senegal saw onana make a baby punch out.
The first goal Cameroon watched Ismail sarr danced around their box eighteen.
The strength of the team is their togetherness for many years. Over 90% of the winning team innkast afcon are back here.
They also have an inspirational skipper in mane. Who is not really playing at that high level again but he is such a great senior man.
If the Senegalese team face a very organized team who is tactically displined and who commit little errors, they will have a problem.
Have you not observed that they have not really done much at world cups even with their junior teams.
The morrocan side and the Nigerian side that played against Cote D’Ivoire with the same tactical approach the coach adopted and with more clinical finishing can take out the Senegalese.
They are efficient but they are beatable. As I said I stand to be corrected here.
Brodaman @ Christian Ministry nigeria, Senegal is a very formidable size, no gain saying the least,but are beatable.
Effective management from their FA, which has effected stability and continuity, is their secret and unfortunately though, where our SE is lagging behind them .
But in terms of exuberant talents, we can easily match them, and combining that with Nigeria’s unpredictability, then, I’d say we do have a chance against them.
I agree @glory
Senegal is not favorite by chance. Greece taught me that defense can win trophies with the euros of 2004.
The nigerians you mentioned were all about goal scoring, which even made Eagles so far the team that has wasted the most big chances at current AFCON (7).
Senegalese defense and midfield are fearsome. Opposition will sweat before they can breach it.
That’s the Hallmark of champions. Are Nigerians who struggled over the past months to beat minnows capable of scoring against Senegal after wasting begging chances on small fries?
Hasan Yusuf has solved our midfield. Peseiro should take note.
When you slap someone and when you punch someone which one is more effective. Like you said they have formidable team, same players, same coach which means they know and understand themselves and that is when a team becomes a unit. And when you have formidable team with great players that can be classified as Mike Tyson punch.
Make sure you knock it out of the park, Yusuf. God’s speed.
The Senegalese team is very beatable.Quiet recently they were beaten by Algeria in Dakar but their FA has done a lot for the team.
@benjamin. I didn’t even know they lost to Algeria in Dakar recently. Just try to look at the other sides of all these.
Christian Ministries, interesting points you made here.
Of course Senegal is beatable. There is no team in this world that is not beatable.
However, it is one thing to say it, it is quite another to accomplish it!
You talked about Senegal’s EFFICIENCY. They keep it tight defensively, the midfield is strong, and they create chances. And when it comes to conversion of chances, they are certainly not wasteful.
And they have a shrewd coach in Cisse, who prowls the sidelines, quietly plotting his opponents’ downfall.
They are a strong contender for the Afcon, and their results so far reinforce that claim.
How will Nigeria fare against Senegal and other highly ranked opponents? Well, CIV is highly ranked, and we managed to beat them. So we obviously have it in us. But we must beware.
If we throw caution to the wind, like we often did in the past, and go back to naively attacking opponents, throwing men forward in search of a goal and leaving our rear wide open, we will be out of the Afcon in the blink of an eye.
In my opinion, the foundation of success for Nigeria in this Afcon is that we maintain a STRONG DEFENSE.
The attack we thought was our strength is still misfiring. So for now, the way forward is ensuring that our opponents find it difficult to score against us.
3-4-3 worked against CIV, but it will not work against everybody. Peseiro will have to make adjustments to counter our opponents tactics.
For instance, during a game, Peseiro may decide that Osimhen needs a partner upfront, for tactical reasons.
He may decide to switch to 3-5-2 in this way:
Nwabali
Ajayi, Ekong, Bassey
Aina, Iwobi, Onyeka, Lookman, Sanusi
Osimhen and somebody (where somebody = Onuachu, Iheanacho or Moffi)
This formation keeps our foundation of strong defense intact, gives Iwobi and Lookman license to play as AMs, while Onyeka plays the DM role, and Osimhen gets his strike partner.
This is just an example.
The important thing is that Peseiro must RESPOND TACTICALLY to questions opponents ask us in matches. I’ve said this so many times, at the risk of sounding like a broken record. I feel it’s a very important point.
If we fail to respond tactically to opponents, then we may beat the lower ranked teams, because we have more quality. But the big guns will almost always beat us.
Of course, our misfiring attack will soon start firing. It’s not a matter of IF. Its’ a matter of WHEN. Until then, our defense will hopefully KEEP US IN THE COMPETITION.
Nobody wins all the time. We are no exception. But we are definitely stronger with a coach that can respond tactically.
Great points here @Pompei
@pompei world class response. I totally agree. This brings in what the bench does and our ability to have a strong defense and of course our attack should start scoring. I love this 352 with someone like onuachu or kel partnering Oshimen in attack. I think we should just look at this in the next match.
Hasan Yusuf has solved our midfield. Peseiro should take note. Good health my man.
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Spot on pompei but I feel our attack will grow into the tournament like the Senegalese team did the last Afcon,they had just one goal which was through penalty to qualify from the group whilst we Scoring 3goals but got knocked out in the round of 16.Cameroon did not take their chances against,Koulibally is not formidable has before and they don’t have even better Goal Poachers like Nigeria judging by clubs engagements.
@benjamin. My point. I hope our attack can score the goals that bring in the confidence in the second round God’s willing.
I think we are going to witness a great second round in this tournament. Pesero and the bench needs to bring his A game in here. We saw the need for this in the match against Cote D’Ivoire.
Also Oshimen please convert half chances. You are the APOTY. 8th best in the world. Produce the magic.
Very well sir
Very true, Benjamin.
When Osimhen and co. find their scoring boots, it will be bad news for our opponents.
A potent attack plus a strong defense. That is what we all want.
One of the worst is seeing a player being forced off thanks to an injury, he will be missed no doubt. It’s even more horrible hearing the news that he could be sidelined for a lengthy period of time.
@Christian Ministries you made a valid argument,and your ideas is based on sensible reasoning.
Of course the Senegalese team just like any top team in the continent and beyond are beatable.To beat giants you have to be good too and also mentally strong.It’s very important to keep a positive attitude.Sometimes the game is lost even before it is played.
Just like we played with discipline against Cote d’iviore,do not lose your discipline for 90 mins!Mark man for man because very talented teams are frustrated when you don’t afford them space to play.
Meanwhile,i applaud Senegal for developing their football to this sought-after extent.They’re now a feared team in the continent.They must be doing something right from the grassroot level to reach such enviable height.Credit should be given to their football authorities for having a long term developmental project which is yielding fruit today.
Hopefully,Nigeria should take a leaf,shun politics in sports,merit must be taken into account,ensure that selection is based only on a person’s ability to perform the work.For instance leaving behind a quality young Tella for Ahmed Musa is not what serious countries who wants to achieve do.
Truly,you need luck too to win a competition.A team like Senegal,Ghana and Morocco could be eliminated by another team which may not pose a problem to Nigeria.
The Nigerian team i have seen so far in this tournament have the quality to win the Afcon as well as a few others.
When you have for instance 5 teams with good qualities in a competition,little details is what it takes to win games.How technically sound your bench is can be vital,so far Professor peseiro has shown ability to use his initiative,he has been thorough and payed attention to details.His tactical shrewdness is key to our success in Cote d’iviore,so far he has done a fantastic job.
Against sides like Senegal how he sets up his team will determine the outcome,so far he has won our trust.We hope to see more tactical flexibility from the professor in our subsequent games.
I can only wish the super eagles success in this tournament..
Eyaaah! Im short of words. I hope Alhassan Yusuf finds fast healing with each and every day. What a genius!
Praying for an easy recovery.
Come good soon, Yusuf.