AFCON 2023: PESEIRO 'CONFUSED' BY UMAR SADIQ'S RAPID RECOVERY FROM INJURY

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Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro admitted he is baffled that striker Umar Sadiq was able to play for Real Sociedad on Wednesday just days after being ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations due to injury.

Sadiq was sent back to his club side last week after reporting a knee complaint and was expected to be out for approximately three weeks, meaning he would miss the majority of the continental tournament.

However, he came off the bench in the 73rd minute to feature in Real Sociedad’s 2-0 win over Osasuna in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night, which came as a major surprise to Peseiro.

‘I’m also confused,’ Peseiro said when asked about Sadiq’s rapid recovery.

‘What I can say, I saw the report from the medical test that he’s injured and that he cannot recover in 15 days, at least, or more time.

‘The report went to the club, and the club said he must come (back) to recover.’

Nigeria have denied there is anything suspicious about Sadiq’s exit, and Peseiro added: ‘I am happy that he recovered well. I am sad that he’s not here to help us.’

Sadiq earned his ninth cap for his country in a friendly against Guinea on January 8 as Nigeria prepared for this year’s AFCON in the Ivory Coast.

However, it was decided that he was not going to be fit enough to play in the tournament after he suffered an injury setback, and he was replaced in the squad by Southampton forward Paul Onuachu, who is currently on loan at Turkish side Trabzonspor.

But Sadiq has made an astonishing recovery and was on hand to help Sociedad progress to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nigeria were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their opening group game on Sunday.

They are back in action this evening when they face tournament hosts Ivory Coast.