Nigeria: UCL - Super Eagles Defender Igoh Ogbu Suffers Hamstring Relapse

The setback is a frustrating twist in what has already been a stop-start season for the Super Eagles defender

Nigeria international centre-back Igoh Ogbu is facing another spell on the sidelines after aggravating a hamstring injury during Slavia Prague's heavy 4-1 loss to Pafos on Wednesday night.

The setback is a frustrating twist in what has already been a stop-start season for the Super Eagles defender. Ogbu's fitness had been a major talking point earlier in the campaign, with a lingering hamstring problem putting his place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in serious doubt. In the end, the 24-year-old won that race against time, made Nigeria's 28-man travelling squad, and went on to feature in three matches as the Super Eagles battled in Morocco.

Back at club level, however, the injury has resurfaced. Ogbu was forced off just after the hour mark against Pafos, shortly after the Cypriot side had gone 2-1 ahead. He was replaced by Daiki Hashioka, with Slavia already chasing the game in search of their first UEFA Champions League victory of the season.

The timing could hardly have been worse for the reigning Czech champions. Slavia had responded to Vlad Dragomir's early opener through Stepan Chaloupek, only for Bruno to restore Pafos' lead nine minutes into the second half. Late goals from Anderson Silva and Mislav Oršić then compounded the misery, turning the night into a humbling 4-1 defeat.

For Ogbu, the concern runs deeper than one match. A similar hamstring issue had previously ruled him out for three months, and this latest recurrence raises fresh questions about his availability in the weeks ahead. So far this season, the Nigerian defender has managed just seven starts from a possible 29 appearances across all competitions, underlining how much his progress has been disrupted.

With Slavia Prague navigating a demanding domestic and European schedule, and Nigeria already casting an eye toward upcoming international windows, Ogbu's fitness will once again be closely monitored. For a defender who showed his value on the AFCON stage, this is another reminder of how thin the line can be between momentum and frustration at the elite level.

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