Reigning African player of the year, Victor Osimhen was again benched in Nigeria’s second match of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying series.
In Saturday’s match with Benin Republic, his having to start from the bench was hinged on his late arrival to camp. He came off the bench and found the net within six minutes.
But on Tuesday, he came in much earlier in the second half. Another striker, Taiwo Awoniyi who sat all through in the first match was a late substitute in the game against Rwanda.
At the post-match interview in Kigali, Augustine Eguavoen said that the striker’s fitness level was put to the test after a difficult summer that saw a failed move to Chelsea and a falling out with Napoli.
Eguavoen explained: “Osimhen is our brother, you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We know what he is going through in Napoli. He just moved to Galatasaray and has not been playing active football for a while now.
“We are trying to manage his fitness. He played the last 25 minutes in the previous game, and today we had a word with him that he can’t play 90 minutes or else he will get injured”.
The coach also addressed his decision to limit minutes for other key players, including Awoniyi, stating that fitness and the need to balance squad rotation were key factors.
The coach said: “Awoniyi had a few minutes at his club before joining us. We have 23 to 40 players to choose from, but only 11 can start. It’s frustrating, but the bonding is there, and everyone is on board”.
On the team’s formation, Eguavoen revealed the challenges of preparing the squad in a short period.
“We trained for three or four days before the Benin game and then had to come here. It’s very difficult to change formation”, he said, noting that the limited time prevented the opportunity for tactical adjustments.
Despite the tactical and fitness challenges, Eguavoen remains confident in his squad’s ability to qualify for AFCON 2025.
