'Losing Ndidi was a problem' - Eguavoen offers absence of Leicester City midfielder as excuse for Super Eagles World Cup failure

Former Nigeria interim boss Augustine Eguavoen has explained that the absence of Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi played a part in the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ndidi got injured playing for Leicester City in an Europa League game against French Ligue side Rennes.

The 25-year-old was forced to withdraw from the team which left the Super Eagles short of options in midfield.

The Super Eagles have only won two of 14 games against Ghana and the presence of Ndidi and according to Eguavoen played a factor in the final result.

Innocent Bonke who was a late call-up for the game featured in the first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti but picked up an injury.

Bonke was ruled out for the second leg at the 60,000 capacity MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

According to Eguavoen, Ndidi's absence was huge as he would have been given the responsibility to guard Ghana's captain Thomas Partey.

Speaking on SuperSport's Monday Night Football, Eguavoen said, "Imagine a Ghana without a Partey. Losing Ndidi was first of all a problem and then we make amends by bringing in Bonke who is a ball winner and then he got injured as well 

"Onyeka was also on top of his game, also got injured so he had a bit of a problem.

"Etebo, who's just coming back from injury, played well in Kumasi when he came in but he only had to give us his best for the first sixty minutes.

"If you look at the bench now who would have come in? It's just to change formation within the players. At 1-1 we needed to get that one goal but it just didn't happen."

Ndidi had surgery after the injury and will not be in action for Leicester City until the 2022/23 season.