Jose Peseiro will be without the service of the Super Eagles duo Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho when Nigeria take on Mozambique in their second friendly game of the international break, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The game is scheduled to take place at the Estadio Municipal de Portimäo.
Both players have been exempted from the game against the East Africans due to separate issues.
Osimhen picked up an injury in the Eagles 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia in Portimäo on Friday and has been allowed to return back to Italy for further assessments.
Meanwhile, according to the Nigeria Football Federation, Iheanacho, who came in as a second half substitute against the Green Falcons and scored a goal, has been allowed to leave the Eagles camp to attend to a pressing personal issue.
Despite having two of his key players out of the game against Mozambique, Peseiro remains bullish ahead of the encounter, insisting he has enough quality in the squad to get the required result.
“We will miss Kelechi and Victor, but we have other good players who can make Nigeria proud. I look at the bench and see players who can step up and take their chances,” the Portuguese tactician said.
In the absence of Iheanacho and Osimhen, Peseiro will have to cast his lot with Terem Moffi, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and Moses Simon, and hope that Alex Iwobi comes to the party in his playmaking role to supply ammunition to the forwards.
Defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Jordan Torunarigha and Chidozie Awaziem and midfielders Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika did not taste action against the Saudis, and could prove to be Peseiro’s aces against the Mambas.
Nigeria and Mozambique have met four times at senior level, with the Super Eagles winning a friendly match in Maputo by a lone goal, before home-and-away 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches that remain fresh in the memory till this day.
The clash with the Mambas is the last gathering for the three-time African champions before the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, in which they host the Crocodiles of Lesotho and then fly to play Zimbabwe’s Warriors away, all within a few days in November.
