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Eguavoen bypasses Remo Stars' Sadiq, selects Finidi’s favorite replacement

Posted : 04 September 2024

Crawley Town's new defender, Benjamin Tanimu, has been called up to the Nigerian national team to replace Bright Osayi-Samuel for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda. 


Super Eagles interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, made the call after Osayi-Samuel was sidelined with an ankle injury, which had already kept him out of Fenerbahçe's last two league games.


Initially, Osayi-Samuel was expected to compete with Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest for the right-back spot, but his injury has left Aina as the primary option for the position. Despite this, Tanimu, primarily a centre-back, has been chosen to offer depth in case Aina needs support.


Eguavoen’s decision to call up Tanimu, who lacks right-back experience, raised eyebrows, especially as Remo Stars' Ismail Sadiq, a more natural choice, was available. Sadiq, who made his debut in June under former coach George Finidi, seemed like the obvious candidate for the replacement.


Nevertheless, Tanimu’s selection indicates Eguavoen’s belief in his versatility and potential to adapt to the role. Tanimu has had a meteoric rise this year, moving from Bendel Insurance to Singida Black Stars of Tanzania, and then to Crawley Town just before the transfer deadline.


Tanimu’s international debut came earlier this year under Finidi, who started him in World Cup qualifiers against Benin and South Africa, marking his emergence as a key player for Nigeria.


Meanwhile, as the Super Eagles gear up for their AFCON 2025 qualifiers, more players have arrived in Uyo. Moses Simon from Nantes, U.S.-based Alhassan Yusuf, Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan, and Tanimu have joined the camp, bringing the total number of players to 18, with more expected to join soon.

 

 

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