Eguavoen explains bench roles for Osimhen and Awoniyi in AFCON qualifier against Rwanda
Super Eagles’ caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has provided insight into his decision to bench star strikers Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi during Nigeria’s goalless draw against Rwanda in their AFCON 2025 qualifier.
In his post match interview, Eguavoen explained that fitness concerns played a major role in his lineup choices.
Despite Osimhen being the reigning Africa Player of the Year, he began the match on the bench for the second consecutive game. Eguavoen opted to bring him on in the second half as a substitute for Victor Boniface. The Napoli striker, currently on loan at Galatasaray, was unable to replicate his previous form, where he scored against Benin Republic.
Addressing the decision to limit Osimhen’s playing time, Eguavoen pointed to the striker’s recent struggles, including a failed transfer to Chelsea and tensions with his former club Napoli.
“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,” Eguavoen said during the post-match press conference.
He emphasized the importance of not rushing Osimhen back into full action to avoid injury risks. “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 added.
Eguavoen also shed light on his approach with Taiwo Awoniyi, who had limited minutes before joining the national team. “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,” Eguavoen explained.
The Super Eagles’ coach revealed the difficulties of preparing the team in a short time frame. “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, pointing to the constraints in implementing tactical adjustments.
Despite the challenges with player fitness and formation, Eguavoen remains optimistic about Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for AFCON 2025.
