Junior Lokosa is set to be dumped by Espérance Sportive de Tunis after being declared surplus to requirements by the coach of the Tunisian side Moine Chaabani.
The Nigerian was one of three players named by Chaabani on Monday as not part of the club’s plans for next season.
The list also features 20-year-old Nigeria U23 defender Samuel Atvati and Algeria international Tayeb Meziani, 24.
Espérance Tunis 🇹🇳 head coach Moine Chaabani has told the club he will not work with the following players next season.
Tayeb Meziani (24) 🇩🇿
Junior Lokosa (26) 🇳🇬
Samuel Atvati (20) 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/12xtFLBeP9— N U H U 🕷 (@NuhuAdams_) May 25, 2020
Lokosa, 26, joined Esperance on a contract till June 2021 from Kano Pillars in January of 2019 after finishing as top scorer in the 2018 Nigeria Professional Football League season with 19 goals.
But his impact was blunted by a career-threatening cruciate injury that limited the striker to a paltry two goals in eleven appearances for the Blood and Gold last season.
Despite the injury, Lokosa who has one cap for the Super Eagles ended the campaign with the CAF Champions League title, the Tunisian Ligue 1 Pro title as well as the Tunisian Super Cup trophy.
He is yet to feature for the African champions this season as he battles back to fitness but it appears Chaabani has little faith in the former First Bank hitman leading the line next season and believes a future away from Stade Olympique de Radès may be best for Lokosa.
Esperance currently lead the Ligue 1 Pro table with 44 points from 16 games 10 points above second-placed CS Sfaxien with play suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tunisia football federation (FTF) has scheduled the league to resume in August while the 2020-2021 season is expected to kick off in October.
