AFCON: Leicester City boss, Maresca doubts Ndidi, Iheanacho will be fit to play for Nigeria

Enzo Maresca says Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are huge doubts to feature for Nigeria at the African Nations Cup
which starts January 13, 2024 in Cote D’Ivoire.

Ndidi has joined Iheanacho in suffering an injury that looks to have ruled him out of the biennial competition.

Both Ndidi and Iheanacho are expected to join their Nigerian teammates in their training camp this week in United Arab
Emirates but Maresca said there is no guarantee both will be fit enough to play.

‘Kele (Iheanacho) and Wilf (Ndidi) are both injured, but they are now going to be with the international team,’ Maresca
said after the Foxes annihilated Huddersfield Town 4-1 at the King Palace stadium on New Year day to go 10 points clear at
the top of the Sky Bet Championship table.

‘We’ll see if they’re going to keep them or send them back. But they are both injured unfortunately for us,’ added
Maresca.

Ndidi has featured in two AFCON tournaments for Nigeria (2019 and 2021) and has started 10 of the 11 matches he has played
while Iheanacho has featured only once (2021) and scored Nigeria’s first goal of the tournament in the 1-0 defeat of Egypt
in their opening group D game at the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua, Cameroon.

He also provided an assist (for Umar Sadiq) in Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat of Guinea-Bissau in their final group game.