Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has backed Augustine Eguavoen as he faces scrutiny over his latest squad selection for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.
Eguavoen’s 23-man squad for the matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda in November has sparked debate among fans and analysts.
Some critics have questioned a number of Eguavoen's choices, particularly the inclusion of certain players who are not currently regular starters for their clubs.
A few in-form Nigerian strikers, including Cyriel Dessers, Josh Maja, and Tolu Arokodare, were overlooked in favour of forwards who have recently struggled to find the net.
Despite the controversy, Lawal — a veteran of Nigeria’s gold-winning squad at the 1996 Olympics — believes it is essential to trust Eguavoen’s judgment and focus on the team’s overall performance rather than individual selections.
“It’s not that the players are not good, but if a coach doesn’t favour a particular player, there’s little anyone can do about it,” Lawal told Brila FM.
Lawal emphasised that even during his own playing days,
“We had players who didn’t score regularly for their clubs, but when they came to the national team, they delivered.”
Lawal urged that what ultimately matters is the team’s collective effort and their display on the field.
“In football, there are always options, but the most important thing is that when you’re called upon, you must give 100% effort,” he stated.
“We cannot dictate to Eguavoen who to invite; he’s the coach, and we give him the benefit of the doubt to execute.”
With Nigeria’s qualification for AFCON 2025 on the line, Lawal also cautioned that the fixtures against Benin and Rwanda are not to be taken lightly, emphasising the need for full dedication from the squad.
“These two matches won’t be easy, and we cannot afford to relax. The players Eguavoen has selected are capable of winning both games. Nigerians want to see the commitment from the players,” he said.
“If they give their best, the fans will support them. It’s normal in football — you can’t win every game, but the most important thing is for the team to show their ability and commitment.”
The Super Eagles camp opened this week, with several players already arriving ahead of their first clash against Benin on Thursday, November 14, followed by Rwanda on November 18.
Nigeria, currently leading Group D, will secure a place in AFCON 2025 in Morocco if they avoid defeat in at least one of these games.
Lawal you are very foolish for making this stupid statement, It’s not that they are not playing and scoring for their respective clubs side that’s the problem but rather they never deserve to be in the national team ahead of other players that are performing for their clubs but then It’s only in Nigeria that incompetence are rewarded over competence, Mr Lawal, Umar Sadiq has never performed well while on national team colors so why is he still being invited ahead of other players?