Victor Osimhen said he was rolling on the floor in pain from the abdominal discomfort he suffered before the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final clash against South Africa.
On Wednesday, Nigeria defeated the Bafana Bafana 4-2 on penalties to qualify for the final of AFCON.
A few days before the match, Osimhen was announced to have suffered abdominal discomfort. He was initially left in Abidjan while the rest of the squad travelled to Buoake.
The 25-year-old was only declared fit on the eve of the semi-final match.
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He started the match against South Africa and won the penalty that gave Nigeria the lead in the 65th minute.
After the match, Osimhen gave details of his struggles from the injury.
In a video on his Instagram Live, the striker said he started feeling pain in the stomach, which woke him up from sleep.
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He praised the medical team’s effort to get him ready for the clash, adding that he had to join the rest of the squad in Buoke via bus.
“It was the day before yesterday. I slept, and I woke up around, and I felt pain in my belly. I was rolling on the floor from the pain,” Osimhen said.
“It was Samuel [Chukwueze] who was close to me. I knocked on his door several times, but he was deeply asleep. That was how I was matched to the hospital. The doctors tried. They gave me everything to get me ready for the match.
“And once I was relieved, I informed the coach and joined the rest of the team by road. It is a lot of sacrifices by everyone in the team.”
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The Super Eagles will play Ivory Coast in the final on Sunday.
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