Asuquo, Author at The Athletic NG

Victor Osimhen shines with an assist in Galatasaray debut as Lions crush Rizespor

Victor Osimhen marked his highly anticipated Galatasaray debut with a strong performance, providing an assist as the Turkish giants dismantled Rizespor 5-0...

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Latest News

Wilfred Ndidi shines, but late penalty denies Leicester City first Premier League win

Leicester City were minutes away from securing their first Premier League win of the season, thanks to a brilliant performance from Nigeria’s...

Taiwo Awoniyi made a remarkable return from a six-week injury layoff, scoring a goal for Nottingham Forest in their 2-1 loss to Arsenal at City Ground.

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Taiwo Awoniyi declares full fitness, ready to return to best for Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has announced his return to full fitness after an injury-plagued spell, expressing his eagerness to reclaim his...

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Fabrizio Romano dismisses Carney Chukwuemeka links to Osimhen’s new club

Italian transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano has addressed recent speculation linking Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, an England youth international of Nigerian descent,...

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CAF Champions League

Revealed: How Rangers Int’l will approach Champions League clash against Sagrada Esperança in Uyo

Rangers International FC Technical Adviser, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has expressed his team’s determination ahead of their crucial CAF Champions League second preliminary round...

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Austin Eguavoen cautions Stanley Nwabali over one aspect of his game

Austin Eguavoen has voiced his displeasure with a recurring issue in the game of Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali—time wasting. Despite escaping a...

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‘Eguavoen is like Ancelotti’ – Mikel Obi

Nigerian football legend John Mikel Obi has showered praise on Augustine Eguavoen, the Super Eagles’ interim coach, drawing a surprising comparison between...

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Ademola Lookman shares how he felt about his Ballon d’Or nomination

Atalanta and Super Eagles striker Ademola Lookman has shared his feeling after being nominated for the prestigious 2024 Ballon d’Or award. The...

Super Eagles’ caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has offered insights into his decision to bench Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi during Nigeria’s goalless AFCON 2025 qualifier against Rwanda, as reported by Soccernet.ng. Despite Osimhen being the reigning African Player of the Year, he started the game from the sidelines for the second consecutive match. Eguavoen opted to bring him on as a substitute in the second half, replacing Victor Boniface. Osimhen, who recently joined Galatasaray on loan, struggled to make an impact, unlike his previous game against Benin, where he found the net. Osimhen’s Fitness Concerns In the post-match press conference, Eguavoen explained that his decision was influenced by Osimhen’s fitness issues after a challenging summer, which included a failed transfer 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. He further emphasized the need to manage Osimhen’s fitness carefully, stating, “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.” Awoniyi and Squad Rotation Eguavoen also addressed his decision to limit Taiwo Awoniyi’s playing time, explaining that squad rotation and player fitness were key factors. “Awoniyi had a few minutes at his club before joining us. 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,” Eguavoen remarked. Formation and Tactical Challenges The Super Eagles coach acknowledged the difficulty of making tactical changes given the limited preparation time, having had only a few days of training before facing Benin and Rwanda. “We trained for three or four days before the Benin game and then had to come here. It’s very difficult to change formation,” Eguavoen explained. Confidence in Qualification Despite the challenges surrounding fitness and tactics, Eguavoen expressed confidence in the Super Eagles' ability to secure qualification for AFCON 2025

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Eguavoen reveals why he named Osimhen and Awoniyi on the bench vs Rwanda

Super Eagles’ caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has offered insights into his decision to bench Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi during Nigeria’s goalless...