December 31, (THEWILL) – According to reports in Italy’s prominent La Gazzetta dello Sport, Serie A giants, AC Milan, have reached an agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation to allow winger, Samuel Chukwueze, an extended stay with the club. The 25 players named to Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations roster were instructed to report to a training camp in Abu Dhabi beginning January 2.
However, Chukwueze has been granted permission to remain with Milan until after their Coppa Italia fixture against Cagliari on Tuesday night. His Algerian teammate, midfielder Ismaël Bennacer, was not afforded the same allowance and is expected to depart for the Algerian national team camp imminently. Chukwueze will continue training with Milan ahead of the cup tie, in which he could make his 19th appearance across all competitions this campaign.
The 23-year-old was one of eight forwards selected by Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro in the AFCON squad. Since featuring at the 2019 edition of the tournament, Chukwueze has been ever-present for Nigeria barring matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
With AFCON set to begin on January 13, Nigeria will be hoping to hit the ground running in Cameroon. Securing the services of one of their most talented attackers for an additional week could prove valuable preparation as they seek to claim the trophy for the fourth time.
Milan will also benefit from Chukwueze’s presence as they battle on three fronts domestically and attempt to reclaim their league crown. However, while suiting both club and country in the short term, further delays joining his international teammates could carry consequences down the line.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
