Nigeria midfielder Deborah Abiodun will miss the rest of the 2026 season after Washington Spirit confirmed she will undergo surgery this week.
Abiodun had initially been expected to spend approximately two months on the sidelines, but the National Women’s Soccer League club has now transferred her to its season-ending injury list.
“The Washington Spirit has moved midfielder Deborah Abiodun from the 45-day injury (D45) list to the season-ending injury (SEI) list,” the club said in a statement.
The 22-year-old will have surgery this week and will not return to action for Washington Spirit during the remainder of the campaign.
“Abiodun will undergo surgery this week. The midfielder ends her season having appeared in nine total matches for the Spirit, making four starts and playing 320 minutes.”
Her season-ending injury is also expected to rule her out of Nigeria’s upcoming 2028 Olympic Games qualifying fixtures against Comoros.
The Super Falcons are scheduled to meet Comoros in both legs of the second-round qualifier next month. Both matches will be played at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, with the first leg taking place on 9 October and the return fixture following on 13 October.
Abiodun’s absence would deprive Nigeria of a midfielder who played an important role in the Super Falcons squad at the 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco.
She had featured nine times for Washington Spirit this season, starting four of those matches and accumulating 320 minutes before the injury interrupted her campaign. The club’s decision to place her on the season-ending injury list confirms that she will not be available for the final part of the 2026 season.
The initial expectation had been that Abiodun would be sidelined for around two months. However, the need for surgery has changed the timeline and leaves her unavailable to both Washington Spirit and Nigeria for the rest of the season.
Nigeria will now prepare for the two Olympic qualifying matches without the midfielder, as the Super Falcons begin their second-round contest against Comoros at home in Ikenne.
The two fixtures are important in Nigeria’s route through the 2028 Olympic Games qualifying programme, while Abiodun’s injury adds to the squad considerations facing the Super Falcons before the October meetings.
Washington Spirit confirmed the change to Abiodun’s injury status in its latest roster update, moving her from the 45-day injury list to the season-ending injury list ahead of her operation.