Eguavoen hit with early blow ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON qualifier against Libya

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria are poised to lock horns with Libya in the upcoming round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification fixture
• The Nigerian team is expected to host Libya at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium before travelling to Benina for the return fixture
• The Super Eagles have been hit with a fresh injury scare ahead of the crucial 2025 AFCON qualification doubleheader

Augustine Eguavoen could be forced to make alterations to his squad list for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification fixtures against Libya.

The 59-year-old, who has been saddled with the responsibility of qualifying the Super Eagles for the showpiece in Morocco, has reportedly commenced drafting his squad list for the fixtures.

Nigeria's players pose ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against South Africa at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake. Image: Issouf Sanogo.
Source: Getty Images

According to a report courtesy of OwnGoalNigeria, Coach Eguavoen has already drafted a 35-player team list, with the list expected to be trimmed down to a subsequent 25.

However, ahead of the final announcement of the team list, the interim coach of the Super Eagles has been dealt a huge blow, with reports of a recent injury to one of his integral players.

Super Eagles suffer injury blow

Reports from Turkey indicate that Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has suffered a new injury setback due to an ankle sprain.

The Nigerian defender, who received a red card in the UEFA Europa League match against Union Saint-Gilloise, may miss the upcoming AFCON qualification fixture.

According to NTVSpor, Osayi-Samuel was omitted from the 23-man squad because of his foot injury sustained in the recent match.

Initially included in the Super Eagles squad for the September internationals, the Nigeria Football Federation had to issue a late call-up to Crawley Town's Benjamin Tanimu after the Fenerbahce right-back withdrew from the squad due to fitness concerns.

Before this latest injury, Osayi-Samuel had made six appearances for Fenerbahce this season, although he has yet to register any goal involvement, according to data from Fotmob.

If the versatile defender is unable to recover in time for the upcoming fixtures, Coach Eguavoen will likely look to call up a replacement, with Tanimu being the most obvious choice.

The Super Eagles are set to face Libya on October 11 before travelling to Benina for the return fixture on October 15.

Egauvoen speaks on Tosin Adarabioyo

Legit.ng in another report detailed coach Eguavoen’s words on Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Chelsea star has been heavily linked with representing the Super Eagles in recent weeks.

The 59-year-old gaffer, however, has spoken about the possibility of the defender representing the Nigerian team.

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Source: Legit.ng