Osimhen forced to sit out Africa Cup of Nations, polemics

Defender Shehu Abdullahi and Leon Balogun are the other two players who will sit out the biennial African football showpiece being hosted by Cameroon and which runs from January 9 to February 6.

Osimhen has been ruled out after he contracted coronavirus and has yet to fully recover from facial fractures that required surgery, while Watford will not release Dennis after they received his invitation for the tournament too late.

Osimhen and Dennis have been replaced by Henry Onyekuru of Olympiakos and Slavia Prague's Peter Olayinka respectively.

Nigeria accused Watford of "baring fangs" in their treatment of Dennis but Claudio Ranieri, the manager of the Premier League club, insisted talks between the team and the Super Eagles had been amicable.