The Super Eagles will go into Tuesday’s clash against Jordan without two key players, as defenders Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi have both left the camp ahead of the game.
Both players featured from the start in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Iran in their last outing on Friday, but will play no part in the country’s second friendly of the international break.
Hull City defender Ajayi, came off in the second half of that clash with an injury issue and was replaced by debutant Emmanuel Fernandez, who made his first appearance for the Super Eagles.
The experienced defender has been allowed to leave camp due to personal reasons, effectively ruling him out of the meeting with Jordan.
Meanwhile, Onyemaechi, who enjoyed a remarkable outing at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament, played the entire 90 minutes in the win over Iran.
However, he was granted permission to leave camp following the birth of his child, also ruling out his participation from the clash.
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Nigeria face Jordan later on Tuesday and while Eric Chelle called up Chibuike Nwaiwu as a replacement for Calvin Bassey ahead of the clash against Iran, he has opted against naming replacements this time around.
Ajayi and Onyemaechi ruled out of Super Eagles clash against Jordan
Ajayi and Onyemaechi form a key part of Nigeria’s first-choice backline and their absence will be a significant blow ahead of the clash against Jordan, especially with Bassey also unavailable.
In their absence, Zaidu Sanusi will be expected to come into the left-back position for Onyemaechi, while Fernandez could partner Nwaiwu in a new-look centre-back pairing for the Super Eagles.
Another option could be Igoh Ogbu, who could also start the encounter if he is fit due to his experience ahead of the other available options in the backline.
