Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo will not represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after his Saudi Arabian club refused to release him, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Al Shabab stated that his call up from the Nigerian Football Federation had arrived late and they were therefore refusing to let him go, the Al Arabiya television channel reported.
According to a statement released by the Nigerian football federation states that: “Forward Odion Ighalo is no longer expected as a result of issues with his Saudi Arabian club.”
Watford for striker Emmanuel Dennis will also miss the AFCON after the premier league side refuse to release the Nigerian due to a late call up.
According to the FIFA regulation countries must inform clubs of call ups 15 days before the start of a tournament.
Ighalo, who is a former Watford and Manchester United player, was the top scorer at the last Cup of Nations finals in Egypt where Nigeria reached the semifinals.
The 32-year-old tops the goalscoring charts in the Saudi Arabian league this season.
If the situation changes, Ighalo can compete after being included in the 28-man squad and handed the No. 9 jersey.
Nigeria’s squad arrived in Garoua on Thursday, where they held their first training session the same day. They play there against Egypt in their opening Group D match on Tuesday.
Source: ESPN
