Eguavoen had earlier permitted Osimhen to stay back in Europe and sort out his future, following failure to secure a move to Chelsea or Al Ahli from Napoli
By Kehinde Okeowo
Super Eagles interim manager, Austin Eguavoen, has said he is yet to decide if Victor Osimhen will start against the Republic of Benin today.
The two West African teams will clash in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Saturday evening at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo by 5pm Nigerian time.
Osimhen was the last player to report to the Super Eagles camp, as he had to sort out his future, following his failure to secure a move to Chelsea or Al Ahli from Napoli during the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old ended up joining Turkish side Galatasaray on loan on Thursday, after which he arrived to join the Super Eagles in training in Uyo.
Speaking on whether Osimhen will start against Benin, Eguavoen said at his pre-match press conference:
“To answer that, you know we have a pool of 23 players. So it is something I have to sleep over and then decide who starts tomorrow.”
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Meanwhile, Benin Republic head coach, Gernot Rohr has confessed that the Super Eagles have better quality players, saying it won’t be easy for his side to beat their hosts this time around.
Rohr masterminded Benin Republic’s 2-1 victory over the same opponent in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in June.
Despite this, however, the Frenchman believes repeating a similar feat will be difficult, especially with the Super Eagles eager to impress the home fans after their recent poor results.
“As a coach it is an advantage to know the opponents, but it does not mean it will be easy,” Rohr told a press conference ahead of the game
“We know they have the better players, we don’t have the players in the big clubs like Nigeria. As a team, we have young players now, and I’m very optimistic that we can do something well.”
The 71-year-old further said the Super Eagles will be the favourites to win.
“We have our chance tomorrow (today) because we know we are outsiders, but even to be an outsider can be an advantage,” he explained.
“I hope that the team will be able to be a good opponent for the Super Eagles.”