Interim coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Austin Eguavoen, has reacted to speculations that he sought to be recently appointed head coach of the national team, ahead of the forthcoming AFCON qualifiers.
Eguavoen had been the NFF Technical Director since 2020 and was called to take over the reins of the Super Eagles after negotiations by the Federation with German tactician Bruno Labbadia collapsed. As he once said in a press statement, he never asked for the job but just took it as a duty call toward Nigerian football.
“I’m a member of the federation, working as the technical director,” he said. “So, when something like this comes, you can’t say no. It’s a task I have got to do. So, the hierarchy of the federation feels that I can salvage the situation, so why not?
The three-time manager of the Super Eagles, who was at the helm of affairs at the 2021 AFCON, now wants the team to go through the qualifiers with Benin Republic and Rwanda on 7th and 10th September, respectively. Recent poor results by this team, having secured just a win in the last four matches, matter for little, and Eguavoen sounded confident:
“Nigeria is one country that a lot of countries respect. We have the players, the personnel, and the support. I am confident we will scale through these two games and beyond,” he added.
Eguavoen insists on the team’s potential, reminding players of their near-success at AFCON earlier this year.
