2022 World Cup qualifiers: Enyimba goalkeeper Noble replaces Uzoho in Nigeria squad

Nigeria have called up Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble as a replacement for Francis Uzoho, who has been reported sick ahead of their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying games against Liberia and Cape Verde.

After playing in Omonia Nicosia's Uefa Europa Conference League game against Basel on Thursday, Uzoho missed his team's outing in the Cypriot First Division on Sunday.

In October, the 23-year-old was put in goal after Sparta Rotterdam's Maduka Okoye arrived late to the national team's camp but he could not stop the Super Eagles from suffering their only defeat in Group C so far, a 1-0 loss to the Central African Republic.

"Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble has been called up to replace Francis Uzoho who has been reported sick. Get well quick, Frank!," the Super Eagles wrote on their social media page.

Noble earned his maiden invitation to the Super Eagles' set-up in March for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho.

His impressive form between the sticks helped Enyimba finish second in the 2020-21 Nigeria Professional Football League season and to reach the quarter-final stage of the Caf Confederation Cup last campaign, where they were knocked out by Egyptian side Pyramids.

Noble is yet to play for Gernot Rohr's team but he was in the side that faced Cameroon in two friendly fixtures in Austria back in June, and he was also an unused substitute for the home-based Eagles in their 4-0 fall to Mexico in another international friendly in July.

The 28-year-old joins first-choice Maduka Okoye and Kaizer Chiefs' Daniel Akpeyi as the goalkeeping options available for Rohr in the coming games.

Nigeria will travel to Morocco to face Liberia on November 13, before they host Cape Verde Islands for their final Group C fixture three days later.

The three-time African champions lead their group with nine points after four matches, followed by Cape Verde in the second spot with seven points.

Third-placed Central African Republic have gathered four points from four matches while Liberia languish at the bottom with three points.