Former Nigeria international John Ogu has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep Austin Eguavoen as Super Eagles coach.
Eguavoen, who is the NFF Technical Director, was appointed as interim coach of the Eagles, after German-born Bruno Labbadia turned down the offer.
In the two games that he handled, the Eagles recorded one win and a draw in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
Following the team’s performance, there are calls that Eguavoen should continue as head coach.
Now, Ogu has joined the call for Eguavoen to continue.
“Dear @thenff , Please keep coach @coacheguavoen,” the AFCON 2019 and 2018 World Cup star wrote on X. “Give him time to keep building the team moving forward ..”
The Eagles will be back in October for matchday 3 and 4 of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Libya.
Eguavoen was appointed the caretaker coach of the Eagles in June 2005 as he saw out the team’s remaining two 2006 World Cup qualifiers against Algeria and Zimbabwe.
Also Read: 2025 AFCONQ: Eguavoen Did Well With Super Eagles —Udeze
Despite leading the Eagles to victories in the two games (5-2 away to Algeria and 5-1 against Zimbabwe in Abuja), Angola qualified for the 2006 World Cup on head-to-head.
The former right-back kept the job and led the team to the 2006 AFCON in Egypt where they finished third.
In June 2010, Eguavoen replaced Swedish coach Lars Lagerback before taking up the role as the U-23 Eagles position but failed to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics.
He returned as Eagles coach on 12 December 2021, replacing Gernot Rohr and took the team to the AFCON in Cameroon where they reached the round of 16.
He continued as the head coach and oversaw the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off with Ghana which the Eagles lost on away goals.
5 Comments
Eguavoen, a word of advise: you didn’t navigate the entire group stages of the 2006 Afcon UNDEFEATED by mistake. You didn’t navigate the entire 2022 afcon group stages UNDEFEATED by mistake.
That said, you also didn’t come back from those 2 tournaments without Gold or Silver, by mistake. There is something missing somewhere because, it is not how you start that fans will remember, but how you finished – and you endings haven’t always matched your beginnings (just as you started well in Ghana and finished poorly in Abuja in 2022 World Cup qualifiers).
Why not try to work on being “unpredictable”.
Try to “tweak” your methods once your initial winning-template is out in the open. You have quite a decent tactical template, and playing prototype. But it becomes useless the longer you stay in post, which is my problem.
Grinding out a draw against a hostile Rwanda aided and abetted by a corrupt referee is laudable. But, an argument can be made that Rwanda were ready for you. They knew what to expect based on the outcome of your game against Benin hence they pulled out all the stops not to lose to you which they succeeded (admittedly with the hand of the (referee) god – to coin a phrase from legendary Maradona).
Based on your antecedents, I won’t be surprised if the victory against Benin is as good as it gets. The coaches in the remaining matches will be very ready for you. Will you be ready for them?
If all you have is more of the same, then please set aside immediately and let someone else take over as Super Eagles coach because it will definitely be downhill from here: several draws here and there and an embarrassing loss from an astute coach with average players a-la Tunisia.
But, it you have fresh tricks up your sleeves, why not? Please stay on as Super Eagles coach.
I want an indigenous coach for the Super Eagles, definitely. But not just any run-of-the-mill indigenous coach but one able to change with the times, adapt his tactical methods to meet fresh challenges and introduce elements of intrigue, suspense and unpredictability to their tactical palate.
Good luck to whomever (local or indigenous) manages the Super Eagles from October onward.
Well crafted there. Eguevon does not have the tactical acumen of Siasia in big games. In big games he will falter and make us weep.
BUT NO ONE IS BETTER THAN HIM WHEN IT COMES TO ASSEMBLING THE BEST LEGS FOR THE SUPER EAGLES.
He should invite Players based on Merit for instance how could he drop Cyril Desser and Chuba Apam for Iheanacho who is not fit and for Awoniyi who is just recovering.
Invite players on current form. also Throw number 1 position open for Maduka and Nwabali to get the best out of them. There should be no automatic number it should based on current form.
I think NFF must give veteran and tactician coach Eguavoen a chance to be sustantive coach this time with supporting him and dealing him as foreign coach ; also Eguavoen must change his negative thoughts which have failed him before,just like summoning players for Super Eagles on sentimet and not on merit , look! he has summoned out of form like Awoniyie, Boniface, Iheancho, has abandoned just like Dessers, Akpom ; the other things which Eguavoen must do to success on this reign he must put 3-4-3 formation which proved his mark in SE , he must put thoes players as follow if they in form and fit as follows: Nwabili- Ajayi, Ekong,Bassey-Ndidi,Iwobi, Aina, Onyamaechi or Sanusi-Simon Moses,Lookman,Osimhen than to put Bonafice instead of Osimhen and bad Chukwueze than Simon, the last important thing that Eguavoen must play pressung and organized style of play in order to score many goals , he must also put plan (b) to change the result of any match which makes headache just yesterday match versus Rwanda…
Eguavoen needs to stop killing us with his Substitutions and Putting us out of the game, Boniface should have played 20mins of Second half, and Ndidi and Bashiru should have not been sent off, Iwobi’s Play was crucial to our 3-0 against Benin so the fact he did not see minutes against Rwanda was eyebrow raising. Eguavoen learn to read the game better when your back is against the wall. Thanks.
P.S in terms of team selection or Squad Eguavoen like I have always said always selects the best and most inform Legs! That is what I like about him most!