Dray
Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has shed light on his decision to bench star forward Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s 0-0 draw against Rwanda in the AFCON 2025 qualifier. This marks the second consecutive game Osimhen has started on the bench.
Eguavoen addressed concerns about the decision, stating, “Osimhen is our brother, and we understand what he’s going through at Napoli. He recently moved to Galatasaray and hasn’t had much game time, so we’re managing his fitness carefully. Playing him for 90 minutes could risk injury.”
The Napoli star came on in the second half to replace Victor Boniface, following a similar pattern in the previous match where he only played for 25 minutes. Eguavoen further explained, “We had a discussion with him before the game. It’s about keeping him fit and avoiding unnecessary injuries.”
Eguavoen also touched on Taiwo Awoniyi and other key players who had limited minutes during the match. “Awoniyi hasn’t had many minutes at his club recently, and we have a squad of 23 to 40 players to choose from. We can only start 11, which makes these decisions tough, but we ensure the team is united. Everyone understands their role, whether playing or supporting from the bench.”
Regarding the team’s formation, Eguavoen emphasized that with limited preparation time, tactical changes are challenging. “Our players play for big clubs abroad, and we had just a few days to prepare after the Benin game. We stuck to the formation we’ve used in the past, as changing tactics with no friendlies or time to adapt is difficult,” he explained.
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