Enyimba star, Anayo Iwuala has been called-up by Gernot Rohr as part of the Super Eagles squad for this months international outings.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the announcement via its official Twitter handle on Friday evening.
Iwuala will be replacing Spain-based Sadiq Umar, who plays for UD Almería and would have been making his first senior appearance for Nigeria if he was available.
Although the NFF did not give any reason for dropping Umar for Iwuala, it is suspected that some COVID-19 travel rules may have affected the decision.
21-year-old Iwuala, who has scored two goals for Enyimba this season, is the third player to be invited as a replacement ahead of Nigeria’s matchdays five and six fixtures of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Paul Onuachu and Henry Onyekuru had earlier been called up to replace France-based Moses Simon and injured Samuel Kalu who could not travel due to travel restrictions.
The Super Eagles will face Benin Republic on March 27 in Porto-Novo before taking on Lesotho three days after in Lagos.
Rohr’s men are currently top of the group L, and are seeking just a point from the two outings to secure their ppace in the Cameroon tournament.
