- Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has revealed that he suffered food poisoning just a few hours before Nigeria take on hosts Côte d’Ivoire in their second Group A clash of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Osayi-Samuel was Nigeria’s most reliable right-back in 2023, featuring regularly and helping the Super Eagles qualify for the AFCON.
He started on the bench in the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, with head coach Jose Peseiro preferring Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina in the starting lineup.
Osayi-Samuel, however, impressed when he replaced Aina in the second half of that encounter, and the Fenerbahce star would have been looking forward to making his full AFCON debut against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday.
His participation from the start is now in doubt after he revealed to reporters that he had experienced food poisoning that had made him weak.