Hosts Nigeria will be without two of their top stars when they battle perennial rivals Ghana for a place in the final of the football event at the All Africa Games on Monday.
Skipper Adebowale Ogunbure has been ruled out of the fray after he dislocated his shoulder in the 3-0 win over South Africa in a Group A match in Bauchi while forward Femi Opabunmi has been recalled by Swiss side Grasshopper Zurich.
"Ogunbure has resumed training but he is certainly out of the semi-final," coach Musa Abduallahi told AFP on Sunday.
"In the case of Opabunmi, we have no option than to release him to his club. All we have to do is to adjust accordingly."
Opabunmi is one of the most experienced players in Abdullahi's team after he featured at the last World Cup in Japan but it is combative midfielder Ogunbure from Energie Cottbus of Germany who will be sorely missed.
Group B:
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Cameroon | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| Ghana | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Egypt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
5 Oct
Cameroon 3-1 Egypt
Algeria 0-0 Ghana
8 Oct
Egypt 1-2 Algeria
Ghana 1-1 Cameroon
11 Oct
Egypt 0-1 Ghana
Cameroon 3-1 Algeria
Semi-finals:
13 Oct
Nigeria v Ghana (Bauchi)
Cameroon v Zambia (Calabar)
Final:
16 Oct Abuja
Hosts Nigeria will be without two of their top stars when they battle perennial rivals Ghana for a place in the final of the football event at the All Africa Games on Monday.
Skipper Adebowale Ogunbure has been ruled out of the fray after he dislocated his shoulder in the 3-0 win over South Africa in a Group A match in Bauchi while forward Femi Opabunmi has been recalled by Swiss side Grasshopper Zurich.
"Ogunbure has resumed training but he is certainly out of the semi-final," coach Musa Abduallahi told AFP on Sunday.
"In the case of Opabunmi, we have no option than to release him to his club. All we have to do is to adjust accordingly."
Opabunmi is one of the most experienced players in Abdullahi's team after he featured at the last World Cup in Japan but it is combative midfielder Ogunbure from Energie Cottbus of Germany who will be sorely missed.
Group B:
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Cameroon | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| Ghana | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Egypt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
5 Oct
Cameroon 3-1 Egypt
Algeria 0-0 Ghana
8 Oct
Egypt 1-2 Algeria
Ghana 1-1 Cameroon
11 Oct
Egypt 0-1 Ghana
Cameroon 3-1 Algeria
Semi-finals:
13 Oct
Nigeria v Ghana (Bauchi)
Cameroon v Zambia (Calabar)
Final:
16 Oct Abuja
