I’m Worried About AFCON 2021 – Eguavoen

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, Sports News Tuesday, December 28th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Interim coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Augustine Eguavoen, says that he is worried about AFCON 2021 since a lot of European clubs don’t want to release players for the tournament on time.

African Examiner recalls that some managers of top European clubs with African players have kicked against the timing of AFCON, with the fourth wave of COVID-19 adding more worries.

Reacting, Eguavoen speaking with NFF Tv, stated that he is disturbed because he has a list and if the players in the ;list don’t get released, it will be difficult to put a team together before the AFCON kick-offs on January 9.

He said: “Yes, of course, everyone should be bothered because there is a list out there and if you don’t release the majority how do you put a team together.

“I remember in 2011 just before the Olympic games London 2012, we won all the games, blowing teams up 5-1 like that and 95 percent of the players were from Europe, players like Nosa Igiebor, Nnamdi Oduamadi.

“But when it was time to go to Morocco (for the U-23 AFCON) out of the players who featured during the qualifiers for the U-23 AFCON, I only got like five of them, so it was a problem. So if European clubs are now saying we can’t release them, it will be a problem and to put another team together at this time would be tough.”

It could be recalled that Nigeria is in Group D alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.