Mark Hughes has revealed his happiness at Nigeria’s absence, at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
The Super Eagles – who incidentally are the defending champions – failed to qualify, after a 2-2 draw with South Africa at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo.
This ensured that the Stoke City manager has Victor Moses available for selection. The on-loan Chelsea winger, played for 86 minutes, as the Potters beat Leicester City 1-0 over the weekend.
“Before his injury he was arguably our best player so it is fair to say I did jump for joy it was a bonus for us. It is unfortunate for Nigeria but sometimes you have to be a bit single minded,” Hughes told Dailystar.co.uk.
“We kept Victor back last week because he had only been with us for three or four days, and we didn’t want to put him at risk.
“He came here and tore the place up really, when he first came in before his injury.
“It is a difficult injury and you have to be mindful of them and it can come back, he continued.
“He’s look strong and sharp in training and he’s looking forward to playing again. I think we all are looking forward to it because prior to his injury he was playing really well.
“The key for Victor was to come to a club where he could get opportunities to show what he can do and we’ve given him that platform.
“He’s grasped it with both hands and played exceptionally well so there’s no reason to think he won’t do that quickly again.
“He didn’t get a pre-season but he hit the ground running so maybe that will be the case again, he concluded.
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