The introduction of SC Paderborn 07 fullback Jamilu Collins instead of Ola Aina gave a strong spine to the Super Eagles defense in their 2-1 victory against South Africa on Wednesday evening.

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr explained that Collins had to wait for 18 days before making his Africa Cup of Nations debut because the player had been recovering from an injury he suffered in the last workout before their opener against Burundi on June 22.

''I had to wait because Jamilu Collins was injured, he had an injury the day before the first match,'' Rohr told reporters at the post-match press conference.

''He played also in Johannesburg, he's normally the starting left-back but he had an injury so we had to wait ten days and then he started training again to make him fit.

''Ola Aina did well in his absence in the beginning and when Collins was fit we brought him again.''

With Ola Aina not involved against Bafana Bafana, Stoke City midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is the only player in the Super Eagles squad to have gone the distance in each of the five matches played by the team in Egypt.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel