Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has defended his team selection for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Eguavoen faced criticism for calling up Kelechi Iheanacho and Umar Sadiq, who have struggled for regular playing time at their clubs this season.
In contrast, in-form players like Cyriel Dessers, Tolu Arokodare, and Josh Maja were overlooked.
Eguavoen explained that the limited preparation time made it difficult to integrate new players into the team.
"I have had to stick with the players I know," Eguavoen told Eagle7fm Sports Radio. "It would be difficult to bring in players I have not worked with previously because of the short time to prepare for these matches."
The coach added that the congested football calendar has hindered his ability to assess and integrate new players.
"Time is my biggest challenge because the calendar is so choked," he said. "I want to improve our large pool of players so that we could have capable replacements."
By Olujimi Dare Ogun