AFCON 2025 qualifier: Eguavoen explains Victor Osimhen’s bench role, formation choice
Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has provided insights into his decision to bench Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s 0-0 draw against Rwanda in the AFCON 2025 qualifier.
Osimhen, who plays for Galatasaray, was benched for the second consecutive game by Eguavoen and was substituted in for Victor Boniface after halftime.
In a press conference following the match on Tuesday, September 10, Eguavoen explained his decision, stating, “Osimhen is our brother; you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We understand what he is going through at Napoli and his recent move to Galatasaray. He hasn’t been playing active football for a while.”
Eguavoen further clarified, “We are managing his fitness carefully. He played the last 25 minutes in the previous game, and today we discussed that he couldn’t play the full 90 minutes without risking injury.”
The coach also addressed the limited playing time for other key players, including Taiwo Awoniyi. “Awoniyi had limited minutes at his club before joining us. We have a squad of 23 to 40 players to choose from, and we can’t start all of them at once,” he said. “It’s a tough decision, but the players understand. The bonding is there, and we have an accord: perform your best when on the field, and support the team when on the bench.”
Regarding his tactical approach, Eguavoen mentioned, “I am tasked with qualifying the team for the next AFCON. With our players based abroad at major clubs, it’s challenging to prepare the team in just three days. We trained for a few days before the Benin game and then traveled here. Changing formations with such limited time and no opportunity for friendlies is difficult. We used the same formation as we did in AFCON, and it’s hard to make adjustments quickly.”
