Tolu Arokodare has admitted that he is still short of full fitness as he joins up with the Super Eagles for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The striker has been recovering from the effects of a recent bout of fever and says he is yet to regain his best physical condition and sharpness.
Arokodare made the admission while speaking to AjaxLife after featuring from the bench, revealing that he struggled physically during his brief appearance.
“You could see after five or six minutes that I was hunched over because I was tired. I needed this match to realize that I am not yet 100 percent fit. I still feel weak,” he said, as per AjaxLife.
“I haven’t recovered as much as I thought. I wanted to start, but I don’t think I could have. We had a tactical training session in the morning, and my legs were weak. I was dead after five or six minutes into the match.
“I am happy that I was able to come on, though. Hopefully, I will recover fully during the international break,” he added.
The 26-year-old's condition will now be monitored by the Super Eagles medical and technical teams as Nigeria prepare for two important qualifying matches.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Madagascar before taking on Guinea-Bissau, with Arokodare among the options available to head coach Eric Chelle in attack.
His fitness could therefore influence Chelle's plans, particularly with the demanding nature of the two fixtures and the need to manage the workload of players returning from injury or illness.