Injury sidelines Musa Yahaya from Flying Eagles team

Sandra Nwokocha

Former Golden Eaglets, Musa Yahaya has been ruled out of next month's African Youth Championship (AYC) in Senegal due to  a knee injury. 

Confirming the new development in a media release Monday afternoon, under-20 national team, Flying Eagles media officer, Samm Audu disclosed that Yahaya will not be part of Coach Manu Garba's squad to the competition, which begins next weekend, March 8, with Nigeria taking on hosts, Senegal in Dakar.

Audu stated that a knee ligament tear was the cause that ruled out, the youngster such that his name will not be included on the Flying Eagles’ final 21-man squad list, which Coach Manu is expected to announce latest Thursday midnight for onward submission to Confederation of African Football (CAF). 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have contacted the player’s English Premier League club to serve them details of the latest development. 

Manu further confirmed that Yahaya will miss the 2015 AYC, after the former Golden Eaglets star, with whom the coach won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE, suffered a knee injury in the team’s second test match against Ghana’S under-20 SQUAD, Black Satellites, last week in Tema.

The 17-year-old Yahaya was forced out of the match in the 51st minute after he went in for a tackle and suffered a tear in the process. 

It is believed Yahaya will be sidelined for up to six weeks if “conservatively managed” but he has taken his injury setback philosophically, saying it is the will of Allah, after Manu disclosed that another scan on Monday finally ruled the player out. 

“The scan result shows that Musa Yahaya will not be available for the AYC. It’s a great loss for the team as he is a key player, but we have no choice but to forge ahead without him now. 

“We wish him quick recovery and hopefully he will join us for the World Cup when we qualify,” the coach disclosed.