Super Eagles interim boss, Austin Eguavoen, has questioned the desire of Odion Ighalo and Emmanuel Dennis after both players failed to join up with Nigeria’s squad for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Ighalo and Dennis were included in Eguavoen’s 28-man squad for the showpiece in Cameroon, but both had failed to honour the call-up due to their club’s refusal to release them.
Ighalo could not link up with his teammates after his Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab claimed that his invitation came in late from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
ALSO READ: Why I excluded Ighalo from game —Rohr
Watford also took advantage of the same error to stop their talisman Dennis from representing his motherland in Cameroon.
However, while Eguavoen agrees with the clubs’ decision, he believes Ighalo and Dennis could have come if they had shown more desire.
“We have to respect people opinions, but there are regulations to release players, Eguavoen said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Nigeria’s opening game against Egypt.
“It boils down to the individual players. You have to fight for it. We also battle such when we were playing & we fought it because it’s a privilege and honour to play for your country.”
Meanwhile, the 56-year-old tactician said he is fully in charge of the Super Eagles in the ongoing AFCON.
“I can say, I’m the boss of the new coach [Jose Peseiro], and we have been talking,” Eguavoen said at his press conference ahead of the game.
ALSO READ: Why I excluded Ighalo from game —Rohr
He stated that has been talking to Peseiro about his ideas for the team.
“Collaboration is good. Anything we are doing here, it’s important we build a team for him to continue when he takes over and add his own style.”
