Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr rued the absence of four of his key players from the team that defeated Egypt 1-0 in a high profile international friendly, saying their presence would have made the squad stronger.
Chelsea loanee Ola Aina and Bordeaux's Samuel Kalu pulled out of the 23-man roster citing injuries, captain Ahmed Musa returned to his base in Saudi Arabia due to club commitments and ex-Watford man Odion Ighalo was not up to eighty percent fit when he came off the bench to replace Paul Onuachu in the 87th minute.
At Tuesday evening's post-match press conference attended by allnigeriasoccer.com, Rohr was asked the areas the Super Eagles can improve heading into the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
The German answered : ''We can improve everywhere - behind, midfield, the strikers, goalkeeper department. We have to improve everywhere.
''We are not in the first pot but the second pot which means that we can meet Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon in the group, so we must be better than we are actually.
''We are missing players like Ola Aina, Samuel Kalu, Ighalo, he has been replaced but normally he's the striker. We are missing Ahmed Musa our captain.''
''We are not in the first pot but the second pot which means that we can meet Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon in the group, so we must be better than we are actually.
''We are missing players like Ola Aina, Samuel Kalu, Ighalo, he has been replaced but normally he's the striker. We are missing Ahmed Musa our captain.''
Ola Aina and Samuel Kalu have clocked up 11 international appearances between them since they were handed their debuts by Rohr.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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