Super Eagles head coach Austine Eguavoen has declared that the team is missing the experience and expertise of Victor Osimhen and Odion Ighalo in front of goal at the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Completesports.com reports.
Osimhen was replaced in Nigeria’s squad for the competition by Slavia Prague forward Peter Olayinka after failing to recover in time from an injury.
Ighalo on the other hand was denied the chance to appear in his second AFCON finals after he was not released by Saudi Arabia Professional League outfit Al Shabab.
In the duo’s absence, Taiwo Awoniyi have the led the line for the West Africans in Cameroon, but Union Berlin striker is yet to make much impact in the competition.
The three-time champions missed a number of good chances in their opening two games against Egypt and Sudan and Eguavoen admitted things would have been different with Ighalo and Osimhen at his disposal.
Read Also: Algeria Will Fight To Stay At AFCON 2021 –Belmadi Speaks After Loss To Equatorial Guinea
‘They (Osimhen and Ighalo) are two different players who can actually score two goals out of three chances. Awoniyi and Sadiq are two different type
of players too,” Eguavoen after the team’s training session on Sunday.
“That’s not to say they can’t score goals. Awoniyi has been scoring goals in the German league and Sadiq as well .
“The good thing is that we are not giving the responsibility to the strikers alone. Other players too can score goals for us.
“We have giving Aribo the chance to move up the field and he has done that very well. He could have scored one or two goals against Sudan. Anybody can score in our team.
“However Ighalo and Osimhen are two different players from what we have now, that’s why we are trying to play to our strength.”
The Super Eagles will face the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau in their final group game at the Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua.
By Adeboye Amosu in Garoua
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now
50 Comments
All you Rohr haters, how market na? Shame no dey make you vomit from your yansh? See Eguavoen said he missed Ighalo and Osimhen. For say Rohr talk am you’ll for don dey release sewage from ya mouth. Yeye people. We are plotting behind the scene to bring Rohr back. He shall lead Nigeria to the world cup. You cannot sow cassava to reap cocoyam. Eguavoen will not reap where he didn’t sow. Na sidon look we dey. If e pain you, eat your heart out or better still, jump off a moving train. Hahahaha.
What he meant was,since osimhen was not available,it would be natural to make do with an ighalo because of his experience
@Dayo,that’s not true.That is not what Eguavon meant.
Correction -at Dan not Dayo
Can we please move on from Rohr. He had his day in the sun but that is history now. I do not understand some fan’s obsession with Rohr. Eguavoen was not the one that begged for Ighalo to come out from retirement, that was Rohr.
He make a mistake by not inviting Cyril Dessers the guy is a complete box player …..He trust Olayinka and Henry
We all know of Osimhen so keep him out of your Mouth, if not for us Osimhen would have been overlooked by your Dumbass Rohr. Ighalo okay cool. either way I will still take Awoniyi over Ighalo he does alot mor up top now than Ighalo. No problem however having Ighalo come off the bench but, that would mean Sadiq Dropping. For me we don not need Ighalo. Dennis is more of a talent, I think our coaches really need to let go off Ighalo man really this Ighalo matter is a distraction
@SD Special Delivery Jones my response is directed at u
Why you hate Ighalo like this?your family dey struggle land with his family?
@Ugo Iwunze. You wish you were Egua. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. There is still vacant post for NFF to employ another coach, Edoman may give you reference if you need one to get the job currently occupy by Egua (Palace) in edo language. Egua said emphatically that he missed his two edo boys sorely in this tournament, here you are, and you have problems with that.
Jones God bless you and you will live long. I told some people that rohr build great team that will surprise everyone but corupt NFF Don scam the man. One thing that makes me to love white people is that, they belive in karma. Yahoo yahoo too much for NFf
Even if he fails, rhor can’t come back he is a thing if the past, there is no chance of rhor coming back to coach Nigeria. So you guys should just encourage this one
I can’t believe what I’m reading. Unbelievable! Eguaveon has Nigeria playing with a pace, energy and critically, control not seen since 1998. Keshi grew an effective team in 2013, but its play was not as attractive. Rohr since 2018 has struggled to put an effective and attractive team together. Even at Afcon 2019, Nigeria lost to Mauritania – sacrilege! All the foreign pundits have been praising the new play of the Super Eagles, even with largely the same players. That change shows the improvement wrought by the new coach.
Really disappointed we all cannot see and appreciate the great improvement.
Madagascar*
Did I not say this yesterday and whose fault? You lied that you did know much about Dessers and you are now complaining. Who does that kę.
What Ighalo got left to offer the Super Eagles. We saw what he played against Cape Verde in Lagos and club football is totally different to national team football.
You intentionally omitted Dessers for no reason and you did that to the innocent man on three occasions and you are now talking about Ighalo and Osimhen.
It is a shame that you failed to replace Osimhen and Odion Ighalo with capable replacements. Now, deal with it.
If Super Eagles failed to go far in this tournament because of Osimhen when we have Dessers and Iwakuęmę to replace the strikers, I won’t forgive you Mr. No nonsense. Nigerians will not forgive you.
Again, if you invit Ighalo back into the Super Eagles after the Afcon in Cameroon, you are part of the Eagles problem.
Favoritism in the team is one thing I don’t like about our local coaches and they need to change if they have to be in charge of the Super Eagles from now on.
You selected Ighalo, Akpeyi and John Noble in your squad and now you are complaining panpanranpa Kai, I don’t follow people blindly kę. You really fumbled on this Mr. No nonsense. I hope you learn from this. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
You re wronged omo 9ja.you can’t replaced a players unless if injured according to caf regulations.those players playing in afcon re already in 40 man squad submitted by Rohr before afcon.it is easy to just substitutes them since most of them are in main 40 team.no way the coach can bring desserts or what is name.that’s why Nigeria went to afcon with 27 players. Let’s encourage the coach and see how far the team we go in this afcon.we can’t compare rohr tactics with the present coach.rohr lacked technical abilities. Mind you,same players but the car is moving.it is same as lampard and current Chelsea coach.technical know how!!
@Omo9ja, I can understand your challenge. You see, the Teslim Balogun playing turf apart from being too small is also in a bad state to assess players, so, it is clearly sentimental to assess any player there. Virtually everyone is aware that CAF actually banned if from hosting senior national team games, it is possible you must have been away for sometime. Concerning the two Super Eagles prolific strikers, Osimhen & Odion, as much as many of us are happy that Awoniyi, Iheanacho and cohorts are undergoing trials in Cameroon, they haven’t been impressive, that is a very big problem no coach would accept. That is why it is now very important to begin to process, mostly Ighalo’s invitation before it is too late since the World cup playoffs commences in March. Osimhen’s invitation is likely going to be a stroll in the park. The earlier the right things are done, the better. That is the position of the coach.
IF AWONIYI OR SADIQ DIDN’T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT, THEN ONYEKURU OR OLAYINKA ON THE STRIKING POSITION. WHY TELLING NIGERIA SUPER EAGLE IS MISSING OSIMHEN, IGHALO. PLEASE STOP THIS NONSENSE. ARE YOU NOT THE ONE THAT CAUSED IT INITIALLY
@Tosin, Nwakali name wasn’t on the original list that Oga Rohr submitted to CAF but when coach Eguavoen came in, he included Nwakali’s name on the list.
@Charles Oboli, we don’t need Ighalo in this team.
Why do we need Ighalo?
What is the point of bringing Ighalo in when we have Dessers, Nwkueme, Dennis and Moffi?
Bringing in Ighalo to the team is like slowing down the tempo of the strikers in the Super Eagles.
I am so shocked that Mr. No nonsense still talking about Ighalo.
Ighalo is not the type of striker Super Eagles needed right now.
Eagles needed a striker like Dessers and Aghahowa. Not Ighalo.
That means Dennis and Dessers are needed after the Afcon in Cameroon period.
More so, if Mr. No nonsense is really want to rebuild this team, he should let go of Ighalo, Akpeyi and John Noble.
I love Ighalo as a person but in terms of football, he has done is very best for Nigeria and he should thank God for his achievements but coming back to Super Eagles is a taboo because we have the players that are better than him in that position.
So, Mr. No nonsense should have a rethink. God bless Nigeria!!!
@Omo9ja, No coach will be ready to gamble with a striker that aren’t confident on front of goal. Iheanacho had opportunities in the match against Egypt but on several occasions, he couldn’t trap the ball, am not talking of tapping. Only a fool supports inclusion of such weak striker. Fans are advising to Google the match to sort your ignorance.
The only player the Super eagles need currently is victor moses or Ademola lookman on the right wing. How tantalizing will it be if you have moses simon on the left wing and victor moses/Lookman on the right wing attack, the strikers will just be scoring tap in goals.
Nice: You have a good submission but the present Eagles strikers can barely trap the ball, that is bad. It is possible you have not been watching the games. It’s pathetic and the reason I think coach Eguavoen is at liberty to get the required resources that will get the job done in the World cup. No one is saying them Iheanacho or Awoniyi should be sent out of Afcon. No no no, they are already part of it but should perform and not this one-one goal they have scored in 2 games. Let’s be sincere.
So they shd score 10goals in 2games abi? As those teams came to watch the colour of your Jersey, common men 4goals in two tough matches not good enough for you? Ask Algeria,Ghana and Ivory Coast how far.
You must be sick in the head….Current eagles can’t trap ball??? Lmaoo there are some lunatics in the forum sha.
You are only been sentimental. Go ask Kelechi Iheanacho or use YouTube to see SE matches so far. Iheanacho can’t trap a ball confidently and such a striker is a risk.
Thank you Oboli, I share boundary with Teslim Balogun by Shitta. The pitch is where all those ibo hawkers usually come to relax after their daily hussle and some Omo alata from iponri littering the place with their wares. I don’t see why we should be playing ball there.
watch the highlight and you will understand that that the head coach is saying is nothing but the fact
YOU ARE THE ONE THAT CAUSED IT.WHY CAN’T YOU FIND REPLACEMENT FOR IGHALO BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. AFTERALL, YOU PROMISED NIGERIANS WHEN YOU ARE STILL IN CAMP IN ABUJA THAT YOU WILL REPLACE IGHALO IF HE FAIL TO REPORT TO CAMP BY 5:00PM. BUT NOW IT IS ANOTHER STORY. WE ALL KNOW THAT IF IT IS LOCAL COACH HANDLING SUPER EAGLE SINCE ALL THIS WHILE,THAT IS HOW THEY WILL BE SAYING WE MISSED MIKEL,WE MISSED V.MOSES,WE MISSED ENYEAMA, WE MISSED CARL IKEME BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY ARE FACING PRESENTLY. WHEN MIKEL AND TAIYE TAIWO DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN 2008 OLYMPIC, WHY THEIR COACH DIDN’T COME OUT AND BE COMPLAINLY THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF MIKEL & TAIYE TAIWO THAT DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN OLYMPIC MAKE THEM TO LOSE FINAL AGAINST ARGENTINA.
OGA AUSTIN PLS PERFORM YOUR STRATEGY AND CONVERT SOME PLAYERS TO BE STRIKER. THANK GOD THAT YOUR WESTERHOFF DO SOME CONVERSION DURING YOUR PLAYING DAY (E.g SIASIA from midfielder to attacker and vice-versa). EVEN WHEN SIASIA WAS A COACH, HE HIMSELF DID SOME CONVERSION (E.g SHEHU: from 4 to 2. OBASI: from 7 to 9 and vice-versa CHIBUZOR OKONKWO: from 2 to 3,AMB.EFE: from 4 to 5/6, ETEBO: from 4 to attacking midfielder).
PLEASE STOP TELLING NIGERIA, YOU MISSED IGHALO, OSIMHEN
If truly these words came out from Eguavoen then one can understand his level of intelligence. The last time the Ighalo journalist brought this question up, you were brave to counter him with by saying that your formation does not rely on just one player, it evolves around all the players.
You played 2 matches, won 2 and your team is second in number of goals scored. Your tactics and approach has injected so much vibes into the team. Once again, the team is attracting global interest (ask Gary Lineker & others). Your starting 11 remains the best we have seen since a decade.
Cerezo, through your tactics, you have demonstrated that we can rely on our own, however your manner of management needs to be improved. Rather than praising and encouraging the team, you are creating unnecessary distractions. Last week it was Ejuke, 3 days ago it was Chukzy, yesterday it was Sadiq and today its your strikers.
You should be straight with this crooked journalist and ask him “who is Ighalo going to replace ? Ighalo is not better than any of Awo, Sadiq, Desser, and Dennis.
Of course many of us know that some players (VM, Lookman, Osi, Balogun, Amoo, and Dennis) can add value to this team.
Imagine our game against Egypt, I mean the opening match, Kelechi Iheanacho couldn’t trap the ball confidently in front of goal, we all saw it….The problem is that the present Super Eagles strikers as much as love them, are not good enough and that has been exposed in Cameroon. So, no coach would fold his hands and keep quiet over such. ODION IGHALO. Besides being the highest goal scorer if the last AFCON, Ighalo is the highest scorer 8n his club, so, no coach would like with such a talented player on the alter of sentiments.
Egua said he really, really missed his 2 edo boys. He means it. No one can ever replace Ighalo and Osimhen Victor. Awo is good but, not up to the standard of these two best strikers of our time. If any player bribe all of you hater guys to sing their names, they inadvertently wasted their hard-earned funds. Osimhen and Ighalo will play in the
world-Cup play-off in March. Desser will never play for Nigeria while Onuachu is around, injured on not. Rohr is gone forever. He is history and so it shall be. Egua (Palace) is now in charge. Nigerians, please join me to pray fervently for almighty God to heal our son Onuachu (best Player in Belgium) to enable our Onuachu play for his Country again.
I rate Osihmen and Dennis over reckless shooting Ighalo.
@Chima E
But people are saying Iheanacho is not a good striker, that he figets when around the 18 yard box. can’t that be said of a good striker? The goals are not coming so it goes to show that SE is missing Odion Ighalo irrespective.
The moment Ighalo Odion is the squad, Iheanacho automatically goes to the bench, that is the bile here.
some people in this forum just had hatred towards Odion Ighalo dat y u will b comparing a good striker to Umar or Dennis With all respect Dennis is good but if Ighalo comes back to whatford dennis will be drop for him.
You’re a loser that’s a cheap talk. It doesn’t make any sense now. Dennis can not be ignore in most EPL team judging by his statistics for Watford this season. Better erase that blunder you just typed.
No9 is well kept.
See this guy now?
We are talking call Lookman, bring in Adeyemi, verify Okafor, invite Bassey, add Eze to the list, Dessers I know nothing of, have not been impressed by Sodiq, maybe he is the type to bring off the bench when we’re in front and the list goes on, there’s still, there is Okafor at Leipzig a lot of fantastic players and this guy is here missing Ighalo and Osimhen? Osimhen I can hear because he reminds me of Yekini but needs taming and re-pointing, but Ighalo is finished with the SE, I was even among those calling for him to come back and when he did, he did nothing in the game, it was clear it’s no longer the Ighalo we had or need, I must say I am a bit alarmed hearing Egua speak this way sha and I hope he has a rethink and understand as many have said already that respect to you Egua but that thing you just said does not make any sense – Please re-evaluate and come again bros
@Larry , why are you surprised on Eguafon comments on Osimeh, I bet it Eguafon really made that statement, and you read through body language of Eguafon ever since he took over , you would have noticed that apart from his super performance and great football unlike what we witnessed during the almost 6 years directionless of the clueless Rohr ; Eguafon is an upgraded local version of Rohr ( the only edge Eguafon has over Rohr is tactical approach to games and ability to read matches unlike the erstwhile Rohr)
Eguafon has never been man of his own ( forget about @Omo9ja that is referring to Eguafon as Mr No Nonsense) ; I beg to disagree; he is Mr Yes Man to NFF; how would any sensible Coach took with him 4 goalkeepers, taken an inactive John Noble that was permanent bench warmer not even in Saudi league but Eyimba Local club , just as the clueless Rohr also was forced to do !!!
Eguafon is not missing Igahalo for football reasons, but his pocket ,and only saying what Amaju Pinnick was asking him to say , because Eguafon knows that retired Igahalo is playing in a non competitive Sunday-Sunday football games in Saudi, which was apparent with Igahalo’s total flopped in his only game for SE, with Zero goal , Zero assist, Zero contributions and missing all the goals that came his way before he was yanked off by the clueless Rohr , with silly excuse that his flopped was because he has been away from the team for 2 years only God knows how many months NFF would have been owing Eguafon by now ; he would therefore be missing Igahalo Saudi oil money because he has to sustain himself.
Eguafon wasted slots that could have been taken up by wonder boy Akin Amoo ( but was later lamenting that CAF would not allow him) , wasted slot of Dessers and other players that could have made his bench solid
If you no @omonaija well,you would apologise for your statement.
You think he is so serious when he is say Mr No Nonsense? So you look at Omo naija as someone who doesn’t know what you are revealing now?
Are you not a Nigerian? Don’t you know how we speak calling somebody a name that people like to call him NOT BECAUSE WE AGREE WITH THE NAME, but to question the name one kain.
Omo naija pls correct me if I am wrong.
They have started…. I trust them they never disappoint imagine them wailing and crying because the coach said the plain truth about players which any sane coach in the world would have love to have in his team. We told you if Rohr actually did badly as they are saying Eguavon would have changed the entire team not to talk of starting almost same players in his first 11 and even using same formations and methods..
@ Tayo , Eguafon deserves accolades by changing the team chemistry , technical approach playing to Nigerian strength and match reading with technical input , selecting players on current form ( all that are missing from the erstwhile Belmadi’s trainee ( Rohr )
Please be honest, in the some years , have you seen watched SE playing all this great ? , please say the truth, if the Clueless Rohr were to be in charge would Aina not be on the bench in preference to the players he is marketing for his pocket? With Osimeh missing, would the clueless Rohr bother to prepare his team against Egypt that has Mo Salah playing in LiV ( apology to Rohr who had written off SE ahead of Egypt game)
The problem of Eguafon is he is MrYes Man and not a man that can stand on his own , today , Eguafon has no quality bench no thanks to taken 4 goalkeepers, with unmerited John Noble , playing games with a retired Igahalo that was completely flopped in the only game he played.
@DeSTAR, spot-on.
You have made a valid point. The problem with local coaches is well articulated.
@Tayo God bless you Lmao!! Don’t mind them confused things. DeSTAR go and watch our game against Ukraine again then come back and talk to me. Out of the two games we’ve played so far the Egypt game was the only complete game we’ve played so far. Against Sudan if the scored was 1-0 and we conceded the penalty. I’m sure all you wailers would start crying why Eguavoen is using Rohr’s team. Lmao!! Confused people all over the place. Belmadi asslickers who couldn’t create his own team after winning with Vahid’s team. Go and watch the game against Iceland again, the match against Brazil, Argentina, Poland then come back with your lies. Hatred has really beclouded the thinking faculties of a lot of people. Just because Eguavoen said the plain truth they’re beginning to huff and puff all over the place Lmao!! No problem we move of una like go and support Comoros leave Eguavoen alone to concentrate on his job.
I expect better FACTS than thid hogwash @AY
You mean, you are actually dancing naked HERE mentioning friendly matches where there are nothing at stake?
Argentina friendly?
Poland friendly?
Brazil friendly?
Ukraine friendly?
And who is ICELAND? A country of less than 300k people? Lol
Bro…for over 30 years of COACHING, pls mention one single MAJOR championship or competition that yourI tin god ROHR won! Just 1! Lol
For over 5 yeqrs he never had a settled line up. Pls tell me the last time ROHR played 2 consecutive matches with a settled first 11
In 2018’WC, ot waso different PLAYERS. He was so confused and bereft of ideas that he converted his best player;’VICTOR MOSES to a RWB! Same nonsense he repeated with MOSES SIMON!
EGUAVOEN had only 4 training sessions and by the blast of the FIRST whistle, his team played like they have been coached by him for ages.
By the second match it was the same SETTLED first 11.
When.last did ROHR beat an opponent by 3 goals, especially in a competitive match?
You can whine, cry, wail, hug transformer (the one wey don spoil.ni o. Can never wish you bad on top FOOTBALL matter bro) for all we care, ROHR is history and left no LEGACY or anything significantly to be remembered for in.NIGERIA other than our FOOTBALL badly stunted and regressed under him!
Go and watch the AFCON games against Cameroon and South Africa then come back and talk to me. Go and watch the games against Cameroon Algeria and Zambia in the WorldCup qualifiers then come back and talk to me. Rohr hasn’t won anything but he won bronze in his last AFCON win Nigeria after we couldn’t qualify for back to back AFCONS. Take it or leave it he has given us a team to last at least a decade. You can keep arguing with your data on that one. You can jump inside a lagoon for all I care Rohr gave us a team that all of us are currently proud about. Yes he’s bygone and the SuperEagles remains, but coming here to tell lies because of hatred that has stamped its authority in your thinking will not follow
Its a shame that for whatever nice posts you churn out here from time to time, your sentimental attachment to your tribal players on this forum makes a mockery of your personality. I can rain insults on OAKFIELD, DR. DREY, BEN, TAYO ETC and align with DEO, JIMMYBALL, DESTART, ABDUL HANDSY, MR HUSH, UGO IWUNZE, GERRE, FOOTBALLFANATIC, OMO9ja etc…one thing they are not is THEY ARE NOT TRIBAL BIGOTS!
I noticed that your clamour for an out of sorts IGHALO is not due to any SPORTING reasons but because he is an EDO man like you. Shame!
If Ighalo is that good, let him move to.mainstream EUROPE! It will be criminal to consider him above players playing and scoring for top 10’EUROPEAN sides as well as in UEFA organized competitions.
OSIMHEN
AWONIYI
DESSERS
The 3 above are OUR top 3 strikers anywhere in the world on current form, clubside and LEAGUE pedigree.
As bad as they miss chances, SE have outscored almighty SENEGAL, ALGERIA, EGYPT, MOROCCO etc with their WORLD class strikers!
For all IGHALO’s caps for SE his game to goal ratio pales insignificantly compared to IHEANACHO who is not an out and out striker.
Awoniyi has a goal in 3 games. Not a bad statistics!
DESSERS hasnt even been tested.
UMAR SADIQ and ONUACHU possibly will be transferred to a top 5 EUROPEAN league and they too can be in the mix.
Ighalo on current form can never offer what AWONIYI does.
People forget that he had a hand in SIMON’S goal, scored a fluke goal, forced a save from Sudan keeper and hit the POST on another occasion. How many strikers get such sniff at goal in one MATCH???
Let our comments ne borne out of objectivity. The last I checked being an HAUSA FULANI like PMB doesnt guarantee NORTHERNERS free tomatoes and goat meat in the market.
TAYO, aka ROHR’s mai guard na wa for you o. Lol
Was it not LAMPARD’s players that TUCHEL won UCL with?
Was it not the same team MOURINHO failed in 3 consecutive UCL semis with that ANCELOTTI won.UCL with?
Was it not KESHI and OLISEH’s players that ROHR qualified for WC with?
Did ROHR bring in any players from NIGER?’ Which players do you expect EGUAVOEN to prosecute AFCON 2021’with in less than 10 days? Moreover ROHR already had a pool of 40 players. So what are you always blabbing about like a hungry child?
Two of the players told the whole world that EGUAVOEN has improved THEIR games, an open indictment of the clueless ROHR.
A good ckachis one who can change the fortunes of a team within a short time.
We saw TUCHEL do it
We saw MOURINHO do it at the peak of his powers
We saw CONTE do it
We saw ZIZZOU do it
We saw KLOPP do it
We saw GAURDIOLA do it
ROHR is a load of rubbish and thats why for over 30 years of COACHING he did not WIN a teacup (apologies @LARRY abi na @DESTAR sef?) Lol!
Post above is directed at the TRIBAL BIGOT EDOMAN!
Wetin tribes wey no get players represented in SE do?
Stop watching SE?
Stop commenting on this forum?
Where is our spirit of NATIONALISM??
Spot on! Shuaib! A lot of people on here a clamouring for expired Ighalo simply because of tribeal sentiment
As for we, if Victor Osimen is available for the playoffs, we would prefer him to pair Ighalo in SE attacking formation and if not, Awoniyi is a better substitute. For Iheanacho and though he is trying, he is more like a flash in the pan, an occasional performer. Has proven to lacking confidence in front of goal in the two matches played so far. Whatever, we can only type here on CSN but it is left for Eguavoen to select his first 11.