Interim Super Eagles Head Coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has said that the country has other quality strikers that can power the team to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) glory next month, in Cameroun should Napoli fail to release, Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen is continuing his rehabilitation after undergoing a surgery that corrected multiple fractures that he suffered on November 21, during Napoli’s Serie A clash with Inter Milan.
The Napoli ace is back in training with teammates as he races against time to be fit for Cameroun 2021, where he is expected to be one of the tournament’s major stars.
Serie A faceoff with AC Milan today comes too early for Osimhen, still, recent reports indicate that the Nigerian international could be ready for his side’s matchup against Juventus on January 6.
That fixture comes three days before the start of the AFCON and five days before the Super Eagles’ first match versus Egypt.
Osimhen could take a late flight into Cameroun after the Juventus game to join the rest of his international teammates.
However, Eguavoen wants the 22-year-old to think of healing completely first, and he admits a lot depends on Napoli releasing him for the AFCON.
“First of all, we hope that he is well and that he can recover as soon as possible. “I am sure that Victor has a great desire to play and help his national team, but above all, he must recover his condition as best as he can, and then we should understand if Napoli will let him go,” he said.
The former international confessed that he would rely on many of the players that the former Bordeaux manager worked with during his five-year stint in charge of the three-time African champions.
Eguavoen did not, however, rule out inviting a few new stars to strengthen the Eagles.
He continued: “We will work with the group that Rohr has kept together over the years. Most of the players have known each other for a long time and have been playing together for some time, but I do not rule out that there may be some new faces in the call-ups. If Osimhen is not with us, we have other good players who can replace him.”
Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi, Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis, and Trabzonspor’s Anthony Nwakaeme are some of the other strikers, who failed to enjoy much playing time under the sacked former coach, Gernot Rohr.
