Terem Moffi from French club Nice will take the place of injured forward Victor Boniface in Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, the country’s football federation said on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Moffi, who has scored six goals in Ligue 2 this season, was a surprise omission when Nigeria named their squad last month, after he had featured in their two previous outings in November.
Boniface, 23, was ruled out on Monday with a groin injury suffered at the Nigerian training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Boniface is Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen’s top scorer, netting 10 goals in 16 league games this season.
His injury comes on top of the withdrawal of midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who was injured in Leicester City’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City on Dec. 29.
Ndidi’s Leicester team mate Kelechi Iheanacho is also struggling with injury and the striker was still being assessed with the expectation that he will be fit for the tournament, which starts on Saturday.
Nigeria play their opening game in Group A on Sunday in Abidjan when they take on Equatorial Guinea.
