With the uncertainties surrounding the fitness of two top strikers, Victor Boniface and Kelechi Iheanacho, coach Jose Peseiro will now have to take some tough decisions in the coming days.
Will he take a chance on these strikers or replace them before Wednesday’s deadline for teams to confirm their final squads for the tournament.
Victor Boniface groin injury has caused panic in the team in Dubai.
The Bayer Leverkusen star is one of the most exciting additions to the team, but it is left to be seen whether he can shake off the injury.
Iheanacho, who is also nursing a muscular injury, has made steady progress in his recovery.
He will join the squad in Lagos Tuesday for the trip to Cote d’Ivoire the following, officials said.
A likely replacement will be OGC Nice striker Terem Moffi, who was a shock omission from the final selection despite his consistency and goals in the French Ligue 1 in the last three years.
Victor Osimhen remains the Eagles first-choice centre-forward and officials told SCORENigeria he was only rested today against Guinea.
Sadiq Umar was a worthy deputy for the Napoli star against Guinea, but Peseiro will stick with Osimhen to lead the strike especially if the coach goes with the 4-3-3 formation against his favoured 4-4-2 formation.
Peseiro has listed Atalanta ace Ademola Lookman as a winger for the AFCON, but at his Italian club he is a second striker and his numbers have been a lot more impressive there – 13 Serie A goals last season and already seven goals this season.
Both Moses Simon and Ahmed Musa are also known to play as second strikers.
What changes again? After all the 12?