Super eagle striker Bright Dike undergoes surgery

Super Eagles striker Bright Dike has undergone a successful operation after he tore his Achilles tendon in training.

Dike, who was called up by Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi for a March 5 friendly against Mexico in the USA, suffered an Achilles tendon injury while training with Toronto FC in pre-season build-up to the new Major League Soccer campaign. The incident happened on Monday.

The player, who made his debut for Nigeria last year, announced the latest development through his Twitter handle on Thursday while thanking colleagues and fans for the success of the surgery.

He tweeted, “Surgery went well, I’m blessed to receive so many kind words. I thank God for the people around me. Now I’m passing out for at least 10 hours.”

Dike scored his first goal for Nigeria against Catalonia in January 2013 in a pre-African Nations Cup friendly match. He scored his second goal in as many starts for the Super Eagles in last November’s 2-2 friendly draw against Italy in a game played in London. The striker could not earn himself a place in the 2013 African Cup of Nations squad and he will most certainly miss next month’s friendly against Mexico. The biggest pain for him is that he is also most likely to miss the World Cup in Brazil, which kicks off in June.

On Wednesday, Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, who is attending a FIFA seminar in Brazil, lamented the player’s condition.

He said, “We will surely miss him if he is not ready for the World Cup. It is very sad. I can’t believe this is happening to a player with such enthusiasm to play for Nigeria at the highest level. I won’t think about bringing in a replacement for now until we get to the real facts of the matter.”

Meanwhile, the National Sports Commission has confirmed that Nigeria’s detail plan for the Brazil 2014 World Cup had been submitted to the Presidency to ensure the early release of funds.

The Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that timely release of funds would enable Eagles to prepare well for the tournament.

He noted that fire-brigade approach had characterised previous preparations to the World Cup.

Abdullahi said, “The Nigeria Football Federation has submitted their financial plans to the National Sports Commission and we have worked on it. We have sent it to the appropriate quarters. We believe that it will receive due attention. So, I have no doubt in my mind that the plans for the World Cup will go very well.

“We will give all the support that is necessary to the NFA to succeed because if they succeed, everyone is happy.”