Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has admitted he secretly wants Cyriel Dessers of Feyenoord to replace Al-Shabab striker Odion Ighalo in the 28-man squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Interim coach of the team, Augustine Eguavoen, is left with Peter Olayinka, Umar Sadiq and Taiwo Awoniyi, after Ighalo, Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu were ruled out of the AFCON.
Ighalo, who was the top scorer at the last edition of the tournament, has been barred by his Saudi Arabian club from joining up with the squad.
Dessers is one of the players who could replace Ighalo, with the 27-year-old scoring four goals in six appearances in the Europa Conference League and another four in only 333 minutes in the Eredivisie.
Although Eguavoen has ruled out any chance of inviting Dessers no matter what happens with Ighalo, Okoye is still praying for some miracle to bring the ex-Utrecht man to Cameroon.
“Victor Osimhen cannot participate and his replacement, Odion Ighalo, is having trouble getting permission from his club in Saudi Arabia,” Okoye told RTV Rijnmond, as per FeyenoordPings.
“If that doesn’t work, I think Dessers should be called up. I secretly still hope for that.”
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