Nigeria: Eguavoen justifies Osimhen and Awoniyi’s bench role after Super Eagles’ draw with Rwanda

Super Eagles’ caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has shed light on his decision to leave Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi on the bench during Nigeria’s 0-0 AFCON 2025 qualifier against Rwanda, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite being the reigning Africa Player of the Year, Osimhen started from the sidelines for the second game in a row, with Eguavoen opting to bring him on in the second half as a substitute for Victor Boniface.

The match in Kigali saw Osimhen, who recently joined Galatasaray on loan, struggle to make an impact, a stark contrast to his previous outing against Benin where he found the net.

Eguavoen explained his choice, citing the striker’s fitness concerns following a difficult summer that saw a failed move to Chelsea and a falling out with 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 in the post-match press conference.

Eguavoen also emphasized the importance of managing Osimhen’s recovery.

“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,” he added.

The coach also addressed his decision to limit minutes for other key players, including Taiwo Awoniyi, stating that fitness and the need to balance squad rotation were key factors.

“Awoniyi had a few minutes at his club before joining us,” Eguavoen explained. “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.