Former Super Eagles winger Victor Moses could soon be freed from his travel nightmare in Dubai after the Nigerian government announced it has begun evacuating citizens stranded in the Middle East following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran, the United States and Israel.

Moses has been stuck in Dubai since the conflict disrupted air travel across the region, preventing him from linking up with his new club FC Kaisar in Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan Premier League side confirmed that Moses and fellow Nigerian forward Imoh Ezekiel both missed their season opener against FK Zhenys on March 8 due to the travel complications, with FC Kaisar head coach Andrey Ferapontov confirming the club was awaiting the arrival of both players.

“Moses can’t fly out of Dubai due to the political situation. We’re waiting for him. When they rejoin, we’ll have a full squad,” Ferapontov said.

Relief, however, may now be on the way. The Nigerian Embassy in Iran has already evacuated willing Nigerians across the Armenian border, with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission confirming that no Nigerian in Iran has been affected by the conflict.

NIDCOM chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa said a multi-agency federal government team remains on standby to commence broader evacuations once airspace conditions improve.

“Luckily, a flight came in from the UAE to Lagos two days ago, just before another strike and closure of the airspace. Once the airspace opens, the multi-agency federal government team on crises and evacuation are on standby,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

Qatar Airways has also resumed select international departures from Doha, with Nairobi among its destinations, and additional flights to Cairo, London, Istanbul and other cities planned.

Moses, 35, joined FC Kaisar in January on a one-year contract following his departure from Luton Town.

The former Chelsea winger, who won the Premier League title with the London club in 2016/17 and earned 38 caps for Nigeria, scoring 12 goals and playing a key role in the country’s 2013 AFCON triumph, had been preparing to return to Kazakhstan when the conflict intervened.