Mikel Obi Out Of Mandela Challenge

                           

Nigeria’s John Mikel Obi and South Africa’s Anele Ngcongca have pulled out of the Nelson Mandela Challenge. Bafana take on the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Nelson Mandela Challenge on Wednesday, kick-off at 8.15pm (7.15pm Nigeria time). Igesund revealed at a press conference that Bafana team manager Barney Kujane spoke to Ngcongca before his flight last night and he was eager to play.

However, his Belgian side Genk are now claiming that he is injured and have prevented him from joining the national team. Igesund says he requested Ngcongca to come to South Africa to be checked by Safa medical team, but Genk refused.

Since the match falls on a Fifa calendar date the Bafana medical team were within their rights to suggest that Ngcongca travels so they could assess him. “Anele Ngcongca will not play against Nigeria. Genk claim he is injured. It seems like a fabricated story,” Igesund says.

“I am not calling up a replacement for Ngcongca. I have cover. I am just very disappointed at a club of Genk’s stature.”The 25-year-old was in a similar situation last September in Igesund’s first match against Brazil. At the time, it was alleged that Genk knew Ngcongca was injured when Igesund announced his squad but only communicated it a couple of days before the match.

He was eventually replaced by Siboniso Gaxa for the match against Brazil. Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ coach Stephen Keshi has revealed that Nigeria and Chelsea star Mikel will play no part in the game either.

“Mikel has been withdrawn from the squad. He has a stomach bug,” Keshi says.

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