Former Super Eagles Coach Augustine Eguavoen Says Ndidi’s Absence Affected Nigeria in World Cup Playoffs

• Augustine Eguavoen has admitted that the absence of Wilfred Ndidi ahead of the 2022 World Cup play-offs against Ghana affected the team
• Ghana stole a march on their West African rivals Nigeria to seal a fourth World Cup appearance
• Since the failure to qualify for Qatar 2022, the Nigeria Football Federation has sacked the Eguavoen-led technical team

Immediate-past Super Eagles manager Augustine Eguavoen has fingered Wilfred Ndidi's absence from the World Cup doubleheader against Ghana as one of the contributing factors which led to Nigeria's failure to book a ticket to Qatar 2022.

Ndidi was initially included in Eguavoen's list to face Ghana, however, an injury suffered during a Europa Conference League game in the build-up to the big game ruled him out of the contest.

In his absence, Nigeria suffered heartbreak in Abuja when Ghana qualified to the global showpiece on the away goal rule in a pulsating 1-1 draw at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium last Tuesday.

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Recounting what led to Nigeria's inability to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Eguavoen identified Ndidi's absence as one of the major reasons.

"Imagine a Ghana without a Partey. Losing Ndidi was, first of all, a problem and then we make amends by bringing in Bonke who is a ball winner and then he got injured as well," Eguavoen said on SuperSport as quoted by Football Ghana.

"Onyeka was also on top of his game, also got injured so he had a bit of a problem."

"Etebo, who's just coming back from injury, played well in Kumasi when he came in but he only had to give us his best for the first sixty minutes."

"If you look at the bench now who would have come in? It's just to change formation within the players. At 1-1, we needed to get that one goal but it just didn't happen." He ended.

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Ex-Super Eagles trainer explains why he benched Iheanacho against Ghana

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Former Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen has explained that Kelechi Iheanacho failed to play according to instructions in Kumasi in the first leg of the World Cup play-offs against Ghana.

The former international stated that that was the reason he had to put the Leicester City star on the bench in the return leg played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

It is no longer news that the Super Eagles of Nigeria won't be going to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as they have lost the ticket to the Black Stars of Ghana. Read more: