Osimhen’s return to Napoli delayed after AFCON final defeat

Victor Osimhen will return to Napoli later than his compatriots Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze following Nigeria’s defeat at the AFCON.

Recall Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost to host nation Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

While Lookman is expected to rejoin Atalanta on Wednesday afternoon, Chukwueze will return to Milan around midday, Football Italia reports.

Osimhen, on the other hand, will be back in Italy on Thursday, slightly later than initially reported.

Reports indicate that he briefly returned to Lagos to clear his head and attend to personal matters after the disappointment of losing in the AFCON final.

His delayed return means that he is unlikely to feature for Napoli in their Serie A match against Genoa on Saturday.

Manager Walter Mazzarri is reportedly planning to reintegrate him into the squad for the Champions League Round of 16 clash against Barcelona next Wednesday.

Osimhen’s absence due to international commitments will see him miss a total of nine competitive Napoli games, including Serie A matches and the Supercoppa Italiana in January.