Former Nigeria international, Sunday Oliseh has admitted that he is worried about the Super Eagles midfield without Wilfred Ndidi heading into the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Recall that the Leicester City star was originally named in the Super Eagles squad for the AFCON which starts in Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Ndidi was forced to pull out of the squad after failing to recover from a muscular issue that would keep him sidelined for around three months.
He was replaced by Royal Antwerp’s Alhassan Yusuf in Jose Peseiro’s squad.
Speaking to Channels Television ahead of Nigeria’s clash with Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, Oliseh said: “Statistics have proven to us in the Fifa Technical Committee that every club or country that wins major tournaments have a solid defensive midfielder because it is very, very important.
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“That is one of the most ungrateful roles you have in football. I am worried about the midfield, we could be lean.
“The moment I heard Ndidi was injured, this is going to be a problem, this is Africa Cup of Nations. There are going to be duels, hard tackles when you look at the teams that are coming at us.
“If you are going to have offensive players like we have, you cannot afford to play without solid defensive midfielders.”