Injury blow: Super Eagles star out of action until 2024

The one-cap Nigerian international has been in Turkey since 2015, when he bade bye to the Nigerian Professional Football League

Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor have confirmed that Nigerian midfielder Okechukwu Azubuike has suffered a terrible injury. Soccernet.ng reports.

Rizespor, through a somber statement posted on their official social media channels this Wednesday, August 16, revealed that Azubuike's promising career has been abruptly derailed by a severe injury that will keep him sidelined for a considerable period.

The root of this gut-wrenching setback lies in a right knee anterior cruciate ligament rupture and cartilage injury. 

The injury places Azubuike in the hands of the skilled specialists at Acıbadem Maslak Hospital, known for their expertise in Orthopedics and Traumatology.

Dr. Mehmet Emin Erdil performed the pivotal surgery to address these injuries.

In a beacon of hope amidst the gloom, the surgeon confirmed the successful completion of the operation, leaving room for optimism regarding Azubuike's eventual return to the field.

Despite the promising prognosis, the road to recovery stretches ahead for the Super Eagles midfielder. The club projects that Azubuike's absence from the game will extend from six to nine months.

This bitter reality means football enthusiasts will not witness the former Bayelsa United defensive midfielder grace the pitch this year.

Azubuike joined Rizespor in January after ending his three-year association with Istanbul Basaksehir.

The 26-year-old has played for several Turkish clubs, including Sivasspor and Yeni Malatyaspor, but the highlight of his stay in the transcontinental country was winning the Super Lig with Basaksehir in 2020.