Ryan Alebiosu's impressive Nigeria debut ended with the Blackburn Rovers defender being taken to the hospital after suffering a deep gash to his right foot in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Uganda.
The 24-year-old right back delivered a fine performance in his first appearance for the Super Eagles, playing all 90 minutes and contributing to the buildup for Paul Onuachu's opening goal.
But the player's memorable occasion was marred by an injury that has cast doubt over his availability for the remainder of the Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles will face Mozambique in the round-of-16 on Monday.
Nigeria finished the group stage with a perfect record of three wins, but Nigeria press officer Promise Efoghe confirmed that striker Cyriel Dessers is also dealing with a thigh problem and is scheduled for a scan.
"Ryan Alebiosu sustained a deep cut on his right leg," Efoghe said after the match. "Uncertainty surrounds his availability for the rest of the tournament."
The injury capped a physically demanding debut for Alebiosu, who had earlier been shoved into the advertising boards by Uganda defender Aziz Kayondo. The defender landed heavily and stayed down for an extended period before continuing.
Coach Eric Chelle said the injury occurred during one of the game's goals, although he did not specify which, and praised Alebiosu's resilience in completing the match despite the severity of the wound.
"It is difficult to play. This is his first game in Africa, and also his first game in AFCON, so I am happy with what he did," Chelle said.
"But I am a little worried because he has an injury, when they scored the goal. He has a big, open wound on his leg. So he went to the hospital."
Captain Victor Osimhen lauded his teammate's courage and quality: "He has been doing amazingly well even before he came to the Super Eagles.
"When he came to us, with his training, he's an exceptional player. I want to use this opportunity to say get well soon because he actually had a very bad injury in the first half but he kept on playing. The injury was really bad."
Alebiosu has been one of Blackburn's standout performers this season in the Championship. He has started all 20 of Rovers' league fixtures in the 2025-26 campaign, logging 1,716 minutes while scoring one goal and providing two assists since joining the club in July from Belgian side KV Kortrijk.
The London-born defender recently switched his international allegiance from England to Nigeria and is expected to provide quality competition at right back alongside Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and the freshly-discovered Benjamin Fredrick.
Chelle, who made eight changes to his starting lineup for the final group match, said the match gave him valuable insight into his squad depth, but said the players, especially the young ones, would have to force their way into the team with their efforts at training.
"I am happy about what they played today. I have a lot of choice right now," the coach said. "They have to show me if they can play or no at the training session. Do your job at the training session and I will do my job."