A hamstring injury has ruled out Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro from Saturday’s all-important African Nations Cup Group D clash against South Africa here, said officials.
Team officials said Babayaro suffered a hamstring injury during Tuesday’s match against Morocco, which Nigeria lost by a lone goal, and the injury has forced the player out of the team’s training in the last two days.
”Babayaro played through the pain against Morocco. It is a massive setback for us and we had hoped to line up our best team against South Africa,” said a top team official.
The Chelsea defender had only recently returned from the same hamstring injury which he suffered during his club’s FA Cup game against Watford.
”I have often had to battle against hamstring problems, like most other quick players,” said Babayaro.
”There isn’t much you can do about that. You get injured sometimes and only hope you recover in time to be part of the team again.”
Likely replacement for ‘Baba’ will be either Greece-based Ifeanyi Udeze, who was sent off in Nigeria’s final qualifying match at home to Angola and so had to sit out the Morocco defeat, or utility player Garba Lawal, who has been impressive in the build-up to this championship.
Two years ago at Mali 2002, the 25-year-old Babayaro suffered food poisoning and this limited his playing time at the tournament.
Before now the only Nigeria injury doubt was goalkeeper Austin Ejide, who plays for Tunisian outfit Etoile du Sahel. The goalkeeper had also picked up a hamstring complaint during the team’s training camp in Portugal but team doctor Mu’azu Abdulkadir said he was steadily regaining his fitness.
Pointless Nigeria are placed third in Group D and are hard pressed for a result against leaders Bafana Bafana of South Africa here at the weekend if they are to keep alive their hopes of still being part of the competition.
If the former double champions lose and Morocco beat Benin, then the Super Eagles will be flying home early. – Sapa-AFP