Nigeria’s chances of a gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games have been dealt another blow after one of the listed players asked to leave the team to rejoin his club, fcnaija.com reports.
Striker Godwin Saviour is one of the four alternate players listed by coach Samson Siasia for the Games and ahead of their trip to Brazil, he has now asked to be exempted as he would prefer to return to his club instead.
Only two days ago, another player on the alternate list Taiwo Awoniyi withdrew from the squad, after his club Liverpool recalled him.
So as it stands now, the Nigerian team might have only 20 players at the Games, following Awoniyi’s withdrawal and Saviour’s impending withdrawal as well.
Nineteen-year old Saviour plays for Oostende in the Belgian Jupiler league, and is hoping to return to Europe to join them for the remainder of pre-season.
“Godwin Saviour has asked to leave the camp and return to Belgium to join his club for pre-season,” a team official informed fcnaija.com.
The team has been in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States where they have been training ahead of the Games in Brazil.
