Super Eagles friendlies later this month against Algeria and Tunisia and 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone in November are in danger as FIFA have given clubs the leeway not to release their players to international matches this year.
A 140-paged protocol ‘Return to football’ by FIFA explains that until the end of 2020 clubs are not obliged to release players for international matches no thanks to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
This way the clubs can avoid that those players have to be quarantined when they return.
Two more international periods are planned this year – this month and one in November.
FIFA have thus extended the measure that was also in force in September.
Coach Gernot Rohr has named a 25-man squad for friendlies against Algeria and Tunisia with all the players except for skipper Ahmed Musa playing in Europe.
It is expected that there will not be many withdrawals for these matches as they will be played in Austria.
However, the bigger danger will be next month when the Eagles call-ups will be expected to fly down to Africa for a 2021 AFCON double-header against Sierra Leone.
Nigeria Covid-19 measures include a mandatory eight-day quarantine for people entering the country from several European countries.
Nigeria host their fellow West Africans on November 9 with the return leg in Freetown November 17.
The matches were originally slated for March before the outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
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