Moffi was listed in the provisional squad list for the
tournament but missed out on Jose Peseiro’s final squad for the tournament. The
Portuguese opted to select Victor Osimhen, Sadiq Umar, Kelechi Iheanacho and
Victor Boniface as his preferred strikers for the tourney.
But with Boniface out of the squad due to a muscle tendon
injury he sustained while in Nigeria’s training camp in Abu Dhabi last week,
the Portuguese coach drafted in Moffi into the squad as his replacement.
His injury comes on top of the recent withdrawal of
midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who was injured in Leicester City’s 2-0 win at
Cardiff City on December 29.
“I’m happy to be back in the team, naturally it was not easy
for me to be left out of the team for the tournament initially,” Moffi said.
“But I’m going to give my best to the team.”
Our correspondent also learnt that Moffi is expected to join
up with the rest of the Eagles squad on Sunday ruling him out of Nigeria’s
opening game against Equatorial Guinea.
The Nigerian striker is expected to feature for OGC Nice
when they travel to Roazhan Park to face Stade Rennes.
“Terem (Moffi) will only leave for the Eagles camp in
Abidjan, Ivory Coast Sunday after he has played for his club Nice in a league
game against Rennes,” a source close to the player said.
“That was the agreement his club reached with the NFF.”
It was also further learnt that Leicester City striker
Kelechi Iheanacho would join the Eagles squad in Abidjan.
Nigeria open their AFCON campaign with a Group A game
against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday before meeting hosts Ivory Coast and then
Guinea-Bissau.