Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has defended his decision to bench star forward Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s 0-0 draw against Rwanda in the AFCON 2025 qualifier, citing the player’s recent move to Galatasaray and fitness concerns. Osimhen, who came on in the second half to replace Victor Boniface, has not been in regular action since his transfer and was benched for the second consecutive match under Eguavoen’s watch.
“We are managing Osimhen’s fitness after his move to Galatasaray. He hasn’t played active football in a while, and we didn’t want to risk an injury by giving him a full 90 minutes,” Eguavoen explained during a post-match press conference.
Eguavoen also addressed the limited minutes for other key players like Taiwo Awoniyi, emphasizing that team selection is difficult given the depth of talent in the squad. “We have between 23 to 40 players to choose from at any time, but we can only field 11. The players understand this, and the team bond remains strong,” he said.
The coach shed light on his tactical decisions, sticking with a familiar formation used in previous AFCON outings due to the limited time for preparation. “It’s tough to change formation when you have just three days to prepare between matches,” Eguavoen stated, adding that the team did not have the opportunity for friendlies before the qualifier.
