The Zadok Yohanna injury has dealt Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles a fresh blow, with the Brighton winger ruled out of Tuesday’s return leg against DR Congo and set to fly back to England for a medical assessment.
Yohanna was forced off around the half-hour mark of Friday’s first leg in Lubumbashi, where Nigeria suffered a 2-0 defeat in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. It was his first start for the Olympic Eagles, and the evening could hardly have gone worse: the teenager limped off with the game still in the balance, and the hosts went on to build a commanding lead.
He did not join his team-mates for Saturday morning’s recovery session in Addis Ababa, where the squad had gathered, and reports say he is expected to depart for England on Saturday night so that Brighton’s medical staff can assess the problem. His withdrawal ends his involvement with the Olympic Eagles during this international window.
What happened in Lubumbashi — and what Nigeria must do now
The Olympic Eagles, coached by Bright Osehai Ozebagbe alongside Deniran Ortega, created early chances in the opening leg but failed to convert them, allowing DR Congo to take control. Yohanna’s exit ten minutes after the half-hour mark only made the task harder, and the 2-0 scoreline leaves Nigeria chasing the tie.
The maths for Tuesday’s return leg in Ikenne is brutal. Nigeria must win by at least three goals without conceding to progress, or by two clear goals to force a penalty shootout. The winners of the tie advance to the final qualifying round against Burkina Faso or Zambia, with a place at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt — and a route to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics — at stake.
Losing Yohanna strips the side of one of its most dangerous attackers for exactly the game in which they need goals. The 19-year-old was one of the players who promised victory before the first leg, telling reporters: “We would win both legs.” That promise now rests on his team-mates.
Zadok Yohanna injury: a cruel twist after the Unity Cup heartbreak
There is a painful symmetry to the setback. Yohanna received his maiden Super Eagles invitation for the Unity Cup tournament in London earlier this year, but injury stopped him from honouring it. “I have been invited before but due to some problem of injury, I didn’t participate,” he said this week, adding that he was “really happy for the invitation despite that this is not the first time.”
He eventually made his Nigeria debut with the Olympic Eagles in Lubumbashi — only for injury to cut that short too, after barely half an hour of his first start.
Yohanna’s rise has been rapid. Born in Bauchi on 29 June 2007, he moved from the Ikon Allah Football Academy in Kaduna to Swedish side AIK in 2025, and Brighton signed him in June 2026 for a reported €28 million — a record fee for the Swedish league — on a five-year contract running to June 2031. Reports say he had already missed Brighton’s last nine Premier League matches before the international break, raising questions about whether he was ready to start in Lubumbashi.
A double blow for Nigeria on a brutal day
Yohanna’s injury is the second Nigerian setback of the day. Ademola Lookman has also been ruled out of the Super Eagles’ return leg against Tanzania in Zanzibar after scans revealed a knee ligament sprain, leaving both of Nigeria’s national teams without a key attacker for Tuesday’s decisive fixtures.
For the Olympic Eagles, the focus now shifts to who replaces Yohanna in Ikenne. Fulham midfielder Chibby Nwoko, who was cap-tied to Nigeria after making his Olympic Eagles debut in the first leg, is among those the coaches will look to as they chase the three goals they need.
No timeline has been given for Yohanna’s recovery, and Brighton will wait for their own medical checks before saying anything more. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Graphic: SportsBuddy — no licensed photo of Zadok Yohanna is available
