‘He has fever’- Super Eagles worried as Ajax boss confirms Tolu Arokodare illness

Tolu Arokodare's availability for the Super Eagles' September Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has come under fresh scrutiny after Ajax coach Míchel Sánchez confirmed that the striker has been battling a fever, Soccernet.ng reports.

Arokodare was left out of Ajax's starting XI for Tuesday's Eredivisie meeting with Willem II because of the illness. The 25-year-old was named among the substitutes, and spent the entire 90 minutes on the bench.

Sánchez' men, however, did not need the Super Eagles striker's help as the home team ran out comfortable 5-1 winners inside the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Arokodare, though, will look to shrug off his fever ahead of Ajax's next fixture against Excelsior on Saturday and the international break right after.

“Some substitutions are unavoidable,” Sánchez told ESPN on Tuesday, as reported by VoetbalNieuws. “Tolu has been sick all week. He has a fever. We don't know if he can play a few minutes today. We shall see. He is on the bench and really wanted to be involved.”

The illness comes at an important point for Arokodare. Ajax's next Eredivisie game is at home against Excelsior on Saturday, September 19, only six days before Nigeria open their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo.

Super Eagles: Arokodare's health now matters to Chelle

Arokodare has become an important part of Ajax's attack since joining the Dutch club on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in July. His loan runs until the summer of 2027 and includes an option for Ajax to sign him permanently.

He had also built useful momentum before falling ill. The former Genk ace has registered two Eredivisie goals and one assist from five league appearances this season, with 245 minutes played. He scored against Telstar and PSV before playing 74 minutes in Ajax's 5-1 win over Fortuna Sittard on September 12.

His European form has also added to his value for Nigeria. Arokodare scored three goals in Ajax's Conference League qualifying wins over Sion.

That form had placed him in a strong position in Eric Chelle's striker plans, particularly after Victor Osimhen suffered a right adductor injury in Galatasaray's 3-2 win over Istanbul Basaksehir on September 4. Arokodare was already being considered alongside Cyriel Dessers, Rafiu Durosinmi and Kelechi Iheanacho as Nigeria's attack took shape for the September window.

Chelle and the Super Eagles will be keen to record positive results against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau as it has been confirmed that only the highest-ranked non-host nation in Group L will qualify automatically. This is because Tanzania is one of the tournament's three co-hosts and has already secured a place at AFCON 2027.

With Nigeria's first AFCON qualifier only days away, Arokodare's next few days will now be closely watched by Chelle and the Super Eagles.