Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has justified inviting Kelechi Iheanacho and Umar Sadiq for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
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The decision to select these two strikers over the in-form Cyriel Dessers and Tolu Arokodare has drawn questions from fans, but Eguavoen insists it was the practical choice.
Speaking to Eagle7fm Sports Radio, Eguavoen explained that time constraints significantly influenced his decision. “I had to stick with the players I know,” he stated.
“Bringing in players I haven’t worked with before would be difficult because of the short preparation window.” The squad had only three to four days to prepare for the matches, which made experimenting with new players unfeasible.
Eguavoen emphasized the need for patience, especially during friendlies, as opportunities to integrate new talents into the team arise. “The calendar is so choked, but I aim to grow our player pool to ensure we have strong replacements,” he added.
Acknowledging Nigerians’ passion for football, he urged for more understanding of the challenges faced due to scheduling constraints.
By maintaining continuity with familiar players, Eguavoen aims to maximize efficiency in these high-stakes qualifiers while planning to incorporate new faces when time permits.
