Caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has defended his choice to include Kelechi Iheanacho in the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya. Despite not scoring for club or country this year, Iheanacho remains vital to Eguavoen’s plans.
Criticism has arisen over Eguavoen’s squad selections, particularly the omission of in-form Nigerian forwards Cyriel Dessers and Tolu Arokodare. Dessers is the top scorer for Rangers this season with seven goals, while Arokodare has netted six for Genk.
Eguavoen explained his reasoning, stating that he chose Iheanacho primarily for his experience. “I decided to include Kelechi when it became clear that Victor Osimhen would not be fit,” he said. “While I considered Dessers and Arokodare, I opted for Kelechi due to his experience.”
Although Iheanacho has struggled, he has a solid international record. He has scored 15 goals for Nigeria and participated in major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and multiple AFCON campaigns.
With the upcoming matches, fans will closely watch to see if Eguavoen’s trust in Iheanacho pays off. His experience could be crucial for the Super Eagles as they face Libya in the qualifiers.
