Eguavoen details conversation with Osimhen before Napoli striker pulled out of AFCON squad

It is no longer news that Nigeria will not be able to count on Victor Osimhen for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Napoli striker had vowed to honour the call-up for the tournament in Cameroon, only for him to withdraw from the roster three days ago, and he has been replaced by Olympiakos winger Henry Onyekuru.

Number nine for club and country, Osimhen decided not to participate in the AFCON after testing positive for coronavirus coupled with the fact he is not yet in tip-top condition following surgery on the cheekbone.

Interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen has detailed his conversation with the 2015 U17 World Cup Golden Boot winner before he pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations roster.

"Osimhen, it's a pity he's not going to be in the AFCON, he told me he'll be in AFCON in spirit. Practically he pleaded and I could see reasons," Eguavoen said to NFF TV.

"We tried for like hours, we spoke about it, he said first that's my concern, that's everyone's concern but the fact that we want him to be on the pitch back what he knows how to do best - scoring goals, hustling people.

"When he spoke to me you could see that he was disappointed. He said to me coach, 'I'd love to but you have to understand for the fact that I'm not okay and I don't want to go to AFCON not giving a hundred percent and that won't be good', I said okay why not, we let it be."

Eguavoen revealed that he did everything possible to convince Osimhen to change his mind but the attacker stuck to his decision.

"I gave him few hours called him back again, same story. You can understand. Even at that he has to do some evaluation on his surgery I think on the fourth or fifth before they will now even give a final nod.

"With that sort of injury we have to consider the young man's health as well, it was a tough one.

"We spoke three or four different occasions before at midnight I said okay you know what let it be and there's always a tomorrow. His health first."

Osimhen was the joint top scorer in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with five goals, an honour he shared with Leicester City's Zambia international Patson Daka.

Igho Kingsley