By Kayode John
Interim coach of the Super Eagles Austin Eguavoen has sent a clear warning to Samuel Chukwueze ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya.
Eguavoen, who spoke to NFF TV, stressed the need for his players to stick to the game plan and take the right decisions in every situation during the back-to-back fixtures against the North Africans.
The coach specifically referenced Chukwueze’s dribbling ability but cautioned the AC Milan forward against taking on opposition players while helping out in the defence.
“You can imagine Chukwueze come to defence to help, he gets the ball, what does he do, not dribble,” he said.
“We know how good he is when he has to dribble but he should know where to dribble, he should know where not to dribble.
“If he comes in he has to do his defensive duty. It’s a responsibility but he knows what to do, so these are things we go through every now and then.”
Eguavoen also spoke on the sort of players he likes to work with in the national team.
“I am a coach who likes players who can play more than one position. If you can play more than one position, you’re game with me,” Eguavoen said.
“I don’t want rigid players, I want players who can express themselves but we have a job to do, we have formation which we want to have balance at every given time.
“When we have that balance, wherever you find yourself in the field of play, do the job, but you must know what you have to do when you’re in that position.”
Nigeria will take on the Mediterranean Knights in Uyo on Friday, with the return leg scheduled for next Tuesday in Benghazi.
