Boavista defender Onyemaechi back in contention for 2026 WCQ after making return from injury 

Boavista defender Bruno Onyemaechi is back in contention to be named in the Super Eagles squad list for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, allnigeriasoccer.com reports. 

A minor knock kept him out of Boavista's 2-0 defeat suffered at the hands of Sporting CP in the penultimate round of matches in the Portuguese Primeira Liga but he returned to full training ahead of the trip to Rio Ave. 

Onyemaechi was at the disposal of Petit against Rio Ave, lasting 82 minutes on the Estádio dos Arcos turf as Boavista were beaten 2-0 by the home team. 

The 24-year-old has forced his way into the Super Eagles' starting lineup, going the distance in their last three matches. 

This is the third injury boost Peseiro has received this weekend ahead of his squad announcement, with West Brom central defender Semi Ajayi and Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi also getting the green light from the medical staff to return to action. 

Regarding the other players on the Super Eagles' injury list, AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze and Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi have a chance of recovering for the match day four fixtures in the UEFA Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Antwerp respectively this coming Tuesday, but nothing is cast in stone regarding their availability. 

Top scorer in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Victor Osimhen injured his hamstring while on international duty with the Super Eagles in Portugal last month and details of when he may return to the pitch have not been disclosed by Napoli but he's likely to miss the club's last two games before the international break. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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