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Augustine Eguavoen has given an explanation for his decision to select Sadiq Umar and Kelechi Iheanacho above other Nigerian forwards.
Nigeria secured qualification to the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco following their 1-1 draw against Benin Republic on Thursday.
Victor Osimhen rescued a point for Nigeria against the Republic of Benin with a late header after Gernot Rohr’s men took the lead in the first half.
However, despite the Super Eagles’ securing the AFCON ticket, questions have been asked about the invitation of some players to the team.
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15:03 - 15.11.2024
'The downpour made the game difficult' - Eguavoen on Super Eagles' poor first-half display
The three-time African champions laboured to a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic.
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15:00 - 15.11.2024
‘We have to maintain that standard’ - Eguavoen speaks on Super Eagles performance against Benin
The Super Eagles' interim head coach, Austin Eguavoen, has addressed worries regarding the team's lacklustre performance against Benin on Thursday.
Eguavoen’s reason for player’s invitation
The 59-year-old, who was questioned during his press conference ahead of the Rwanda clash, gave his reasons for inviting the out-of-form players to the team.
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Eguavoen told Eagle7fm Sports Radio, “I have had to stick with the players I know, it will be difficult to play those I have not worked with previously because of the short time to prepare for these matches.
“We have had only three, four days for these matches, so the time is not there (to look closer at new players).
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“Time is my biggest challenge because the calendar is so choked. I want to improve our large pool of players, so that we could have capable replacements.
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“We should be patient. When we have friendlies, we will try to bring some new players and work with them. I know Nigerians love this game so much, but sometimes we’re not patient.”
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Sadiq Umar and Kelechi Iheanacho were added to Eguavoen's AFCON 2025 squad list for their November qualifiers against Rwanda and the Benin Republic, drawing a lot of attention.
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It looked strange for the team's coach to invite the La Liga pair, who have had trouble making an impression for their club team, given the stronger choices like Cyriel Dessers and Chuba Akpom available at the moment.
Sadiq Umar's only goal this season across all competitions for Real Sociedad was an assist against Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League in October, while Kelechi Iheanacho hasn't scored a league goal in club football in the previous 12 months.
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