Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen has blamed his team’s goalscoring struggles on their lack of creativity in midfield, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria suffered their first loss against Rwanda with Eguavoen as coach on Monday. Recall that the Super Eagles already sealed qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-1 draw against Benin last Thursday.
So, Eguavoen gave other players a rare opportunity to start against Benin on Monday. He made seven changes to the side that started the previous game against Benin. Nonetheless, Nigeria were still the overwhelming favorites to claim the win due to their quality on paper.
The Super Eagles dominated the first half, but they just lacked the cutting edge as they failed to create clear-cut chances in the final third. Chukwueze, who started from the bench, got into the game in the second half, and he scored the vital opener for Nigeria. However, the team fell apart ten minutes later, as Rwanda scored twice in three minutes to take a 2-1 lead.
After going down, the Super Eagles failed into inspire confidence with their play, as they struggled to threaten the Rwandan backline. It eventually ended 2-1 to the Amavubi, as they claimed their first-ever win over Nigeria.
After the game, coach Eguavoen expressed disappointment at the loss. But he stated that the absence of a creative player was a major factor that contributed to their loss.
“Goals win games, we all know that. They are scoring goals in their club sides, they are scoring goals in training. But when it comes to the game, they don’t score goals. I keep asking the same questions,” Eguavoen told journalists.
“But you know there are some players who can make a difference, who can put the ball into space for them to go to goal. But we are still looking for that player who has that flair and creativity. A good playmaker who can put the ball into space for them.”
The lack of a creativity in Nigeria’s midfield has been an issue for years. They will be looking to improve when the World Cup Qualifiers resume next year.