Technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Augustine Eguavoen has denied imposing players on Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle.
Chelle unveiled his 23-man squad for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Amavubi of Rwanda and Warriors of Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Eguavoen managed the Super Eagles on interim capacity before Chelle’s appointment.
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The former defender has been accused of influencing the choice of players for the upcoming fixtures.
He has however denied the allegation insisting that the head coach is fully in charge of the team.
“I want Nigerians to get clarity on something, I’ve been technical director for a few years and I have attended FIFA workshops where I ask questions a lot and they made it clear to me that a senior national team coach anywhere in the world has a final say on who he wants on his list,” Eguavoen said on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football.
“We can interact, we cannot interfere. If he says no, it’s no. That is why they can fire a senior national team coach at any time. So I will say Eric Chelle took his time to prepare this list and he has the final say.”
By Adeboye Amosu
7 Comments
The niger tornadoes guy, Papa Daniel, according to owngoal, has not played for 5 straight weeks in NPFL because he’s busy junketing European obscure leagues to pick a club and someone is saying such an “inactive” player was picked by Chelle on his first crucial fixture, ahead of Chrisantus!
We aren’t all dull, TD!
Clean your lying tongue because Chelle is not a wizard to include players from NPFl that has not played for weeks. What did he see of the players and their positions before he choose them? And how did he know their names?? NFF slot if not only disrespectful but damaging. Nigeria might get away with this but it is wrong and disgusting to influence selections. Umar will prove to be useless because he misses sitters upon sitters before he will score a goal unlike Dessers who is a killer. There are lots of negativity in the list.
You were interim coach for the super eagles during the world cup during the world cup qualifiers and you could not explain how Onazi appeared in your provisional list. You made it clear that it was not your decision.
He has final say but you egu has final yes. Please feed this to the dogs. Kowole rara nibi.
U recommended players to him and you think he will reject your proposals? Remember he want to be in your good book. This is how you people frustrated Finidi with home based nonsense and see where it landed us and now you people have started again. My only joy this time is that all the regulars will be available with that those names you used to make up nos are inconsequential. We will win the two matches by his grace but Eguavoen you are a chronic liar and very corrupt.
Thank Nigerians for letting Eguavoen and NFF feel the heat.
We can use the same energy to fix Nigeria.
He knows what he is doing, and his mind is not letting him rest.
No peace for the wicked, as we say, right?
How could Boniface, who you said you trusted in the last game you played, not get you a single goal? And the away team embarrassed the Super Eagles in Nigeria with 2 quick goals, and they won the match?
You played Boniface for the entire match, remember?
How would you and NFF consider players like Umar Sodiq and Boniface at the national ahead of Cyriel Dessers, who has not been given enough game time at the national, still managed two goals in six appearances, but still has not been considered good enough with 22 league goals?
That said. You, Eguavoen, did the same thing to Dessers in the past, and the memory is still fresh in our minds. You publicly said you have to be on the ground to watch Cyriel Dessers so that you can identify his potential right, and you even said you did not know Cyriel Dessers. Can someone imagine that kę?
What is your job? Do you know what you are doing at all? Oh, Nigeria my country. This is quite embarrassing.
Of recent, you said Nacho should not be left out of the squad. What kind of mentality is that ba?
I won’t blame you because in Nigeria, it is hard to do things in the right way and everyone is being affected by that. No improvement because there’s no transparency.
Remember what you do today will hurt you tomorrow. Continue cajoling Nigerians but no condition is permanent.
For sure, you block Cyriel Dessers again and other inform players for no tangible reasons and you expect those you and NFF cheated to be happy with you people? Fingers crossed. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Whether or not Eguavoen or the NFF was involved in this selection of the squad is debatable. What is clear is that a poor decision was made by Coach Eric Chelle in the squad selection particularly in the Midfield, where form or current performance was not the criteria used in Selection.
I can’t understand why very weak, slow and poor-form Wilfred Ndidi and Joe Aribo should be selected in the midfield role. They are so suffering low morale as their clubs in the EPL are relegation bound and are performing poorly recently.
The midfield should have consisted of young, energetic and fast players like Fisayo Dele-Basiru, Frank Onyeka and Christiantus Uche- not the crop of players in that area in Chelle’s squad.