Nigeria star Victor Osimhen is a major doubt for the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against South Africa in Bouake on Wednesday, team officials said.
Napoli striker Osimhen did not fly Monday with the rest of the squad for Bouake due to abdominal discomfort, a statement issued by Super Eagles spokesman Babafemi Raji said.
"Team medics confirmed that he has been placed under close watch with a member of the medical team staying behind in Abidjan with him," the statement read.
The reigning African Player of the Year did not train Monday evening before the team's departure from Abidjan.
Osimhen was substituted late in the quarter-final against Angola at the weekend.
The 25-year-old has scored a goal and provided an assist in the tournament.
Wednesday’s clash will be the second time Nigeria and South Africa meet in the semi-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.
In their only previous semi-final clash, Nigeria sent South Africa packing with an emphatic 2-0 win in February 2000 in Lagos. Since Nigeria were a co-hosts, they enjoyed home ground advantage. At the time, Nigeria weighed in heavily on the 12th-man dynamic with the masses — all 60, 000 of them.
Nigeria's hero in that match 24 years ago was the Ajax Amsterdam striker Tijani Babangida, whose first-half brace was enough for the Super Eagles to reach the final, at the expense of Bafana Bafana.
AFP