Augustine Eguavoen laments Victor Osimhen's absence in Super Eagles squad for Libya clash

• Super Eagles interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen has addressed the media ahead of Libya clash
• Eguavoen names one irreplaceable player missing from the squad for October games due to injury
• The head coach called up a replacement for the player, and it has generated controversies in the media

Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen has lamented the absence of Victor Osimhen in the squad for the October international games against Libya.

Osimhen was not invited to be part of the squad after he failed to recover from the muscle injury he suffered during Galatasaray's 3-3 draw against Kasimpasa.

Victor Osimhen playing for the Super Eagles at AFCON 2023. Photo by Visionhaus.
Source: Getty Images

He scored his first goals for the Turkish champions in the game, but his teammates surrendered their lead after the Nigerian forward went off injured at halftime.

Eguavoen laments Osimhen's absence

Eguavoen has spoken to the media for the first time as the national team camp opens for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers doubleheader against Libya.

He addressed Osimhen’s absence and described it as a setback in the team's preparation for the two games against the Mediterranean Knights in Uyo and Benghazi.

“It’s a huge miss. We all know how important and impactful Osimhen can be, but we have other players who can do the job. He’s not here physically, but he’s with us spiritually,” he said via Brila.

It is the third international window that Osimhen has missed this year, having missed the March and June games due to an injury suffered after AFCON 2023.

He scored six minutes on his return to the team against Benin Republic, breaking into the top four of the all-time top scorers list behind Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami and Yakubu Aiyegbeni.

As noted by Soccernet, the Super Eagles technical crew invited Kelechi Iheanacho as his replacement after the Sevilla star was not initially considered due to his poor form at club side.

Eguavoen defends Iheanacho's call-up

Legit.ng reported that Augustine Eguavoen defended his decision to invite Kelechi Iheanacho for the October international break despite his poor form at Sevilla.

Iheanacho joined the club as a free agent in the summer but has yet to score, but was preferred to replace the injured Victor Osimhen over other in-form forwards.

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Source: Legit.ng