Nigeria's John Mikel Obi will miss Nigeria's World Cup qualifier
Nigeria will be without midfielder John Mikel Obi for next month's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Mozambique due to an ankle injury.
The Chelsea midfielder was forced to miss the second half of the weekend's 3-1 loss at Wigan with an ankle injury.
Mikel confirmed on Tuesday that he will be out of action for three-weeks, ruling him out of the 11 October clash with Mozambique in Abuja.
"It's very bad and I am going to be out for three weeks," Mikel said.
"Sadly it's not something to just shake off as it hurts terribly; indeed it's a very sad situation."
His absence will be a major setback for Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu who will now be without two of his regular midfielders after he omitted Spain based Kalu Uche from his squad for the game.
The under-fire coach will have to work with midfielders like Yusuf Ayila, Seyi Olofinjana, Dickson Etuhu, Olufemi Ajilore and Sani Kaita, while Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu could also be an option in the middle.
Mikel's absence will come as a huge blow for the country as they face a daunting task of qualifying for South Africa 2010.
With two games to play, Nigeria are currently second in Group B with seven points, two points behind leaders Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Nigerian football was thrown into shock as former international goalkeeper Best Ogedengbe died on Monday night after being in a coma for a week.
"It is very sad but Ogedengbe is no longer with us. I visited him yesterday [Monday], but his wife informed me of his death this morning," a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation said.
Ogedengbe was one of the heroes as Nigeria won their first ever Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980.
Four years earlier, he featured for the Shooting Stars, who became the first Nigerian club to win the now defunct African Cup Winners' Cup.
He has worked as a coach with the country's youth team and only recently signed a deal to train Premier League club Sharks of Port Harcourt.
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