Nigeria's boss has revealed why he decided to play Orlando Pirates' Olisa Ndah this past weekend, after the defender's two-year absence from the national team.
Prior to their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin on Saturday, the last international match the Buccaneer had played for the west Africans was at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in 2022.
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The central defender came on as a substitute during that 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in what was their final group-stage match of that showpiece, but since their elimination by Tunisia in that tournament, the 26-year-old had not made an appearance for the three-time continental champions until the past weekend.
On that occasion against Guinea-Bissau, Augustine Eguavoen was the man in charge of Nigeria, and fast-forward two years later, the same man is at the helm of African powerhouse once again, this time in an interim capacity.
On Saturday, Eguavoen's charges managed to kick-start their qualification campaign with a 3-0 victory over Benin, and in the 63rd minute of that tie, the Super Eagles' boss decided to bring on Ndah.
When quizzed as to why he brought on the Pirates man, the Nigerian tactician justified his decision by stating, as per Daily Post Nigeria: "Whoever comes in, there is an understanding. We have been training for one week.
"Ndah is not new, he was here for the AFCON in Cameroon so we have worked with him before now and there is that synergy.
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"Whoever comes in, we want to give specific instructions, just go out and play."