Super Eagles and Galatasaray forward Henry, Onyekuru has been called up as replacement for Changchun Yatai striker, Odion Ighalo ahead of the 2019 crucial Africa Cup of nation’s qualifier against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the FNB stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday November 17.
Ighalo picked up a knock in the 17th minute on Wednesday in a Chinese Super League clash between Changchun Yatai and Tianjin Quanjian which ended in a 2 – 2 draw.
Onyekuru was in action for Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and played for 90 minutes when the Turkish team lost 2 – 0 to Schalke 04.
Ighalo’s injury comes as a setback for the Eagles who has enjoyed the strikers quality and form contributing six goals to the team’s 2019 AFCON qualifying campaign in the last three games netting a hattrick against Libya in Uyo.
Onyekuru was one of the five players placed on standby by the team’s head coach Gernot Rohr in case of an emergency. Onyekuru beat Kano Pillars duo of Junior Lokosa and Nyima Nwagua to the call up.
Ighalo joins the list of absentees for the South African fixture which includes skipper John Mikel Obi, Francis Uzoho and Wilfred Ndidi.
