Why Coach Eguavoen Substituted Samuel Chukwueze

Recently, during Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Rwanda, Interim Super Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen, made an important decision. He decided to take Samuel Chukwueze off the field in the second half. Let’s understand why.

At halftime, Eguavoen brought Moses Simon in to replace Chukwueze.

In the post-match interview, Coach Eguavoen explained his decision. Chukwueze, who plays for AC Milan, had already received a yellow card. This means the referee warned him once, and one more mistake could get him kicked out of the game.

Coach Eguavoen said, “Chukwueze is one of our best players. He was playing amazingly and was causing a lot of trouble for the Rwanda team. But he had a yellow card already.”

The coach further explained they had three players with yellow cards. This was risky because one more mistake from any of them could lead to a red card, making them leave the game. So, to play safe, the coach decided to make substitutions. He replaced Chukwueze not because he was playing badly, but to avoid any problems that could come from getting another yellow card.

This decision shows how coaches think not just about the present moment, but also about the future of the game. They want to ensure their team has the best chance to win without any issues.