Morocco 2025: Super Eagles Will Miss Osimhen Against Libya – Eguavoen

Super Eagles Interim Coach, Augustine Eguavoen is targeting the maximum points in the Nations Cup qualifiers double-header against Libya to boost the teams chances of qualifying for the competition.

Nigeria host the first game at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday evening, with the return leg at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, 19 kilometres from Libya’s second city Benghazi, on Tuesday night.

He said: “We have to be practical about it: our best and surest route to the finals will be to pick up the six points in the matches with Libya, and be somewhat guaranteed of a place in Morocco even before Matchday 5. We don’t want to be in any anxiety in the run-in in this qualifying campaign.

“I admit we will miss Victor (Osimhen), but I believe in the other strikers available to get us the goals that will give us the three points in Uyo, and the three points in Libya.”

Twenty of the 23 invited players trained in Uyo on Tuesday evening, with defender Bright Osayi-Samuel and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke arriving on Wednesday morning.

Nigeria have four points from their two matches so far, one point ahead of Benin Republic and two ahead of Rwanda.

The Super Eagles will make it 10 points with a double win over Libya.

Wins for Benin Republic in both matches will take them to nine points, still short of Nigeria’s probable tally of 10, but Rwanda will remain stuck at two and Libya one, with only two matches left in the campaign.

Wins for Rwanda will leave Benin Republic stuck at three points and Rwanda at eight.

Eguavoen promised that the team will do their best to win the two matches to qualify with a game to spare.

He said, “There are possibilities and opportunities for us to sail home at the end of these two matches, and we will do our best to take our chances and have the ticket in hand before the final round of games,”

The delegation of Libya’s Mediterranean Knights landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Tuesday afternoon before moving to Uyo by road.

Meanwhile, Malawian referee Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga will be at the centre during Friday’s encounter, alongside the other match officials, are already in the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The Confederation of African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 and 2 respectively, while Botswanan Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official.

Morocco 2025: Super Eagles Will Miss Osimhen Against Libya – Eguavoen is first published on The Whistler Newspaper