A Nigerian coach led a technical team that included three other Nigerian assistant coaches from the domestic league without any previous national team experience, to play two extremely crucial qualification matches for the 2025 African Cup of Nations against Benin Republic in Uyo, Nigeria, and Rwanda in Kigali, Rwanda.
The matches were very ‘dangerous’ for the hapless Augustine Eguavoen who had no choice but to accept the ‘poisoned chalice’ and to hope for the best. Following a spate of recent poor performances, little or no time to prepare the team well, crisis with recruiting a foreign coach, the match was NOT made for victory.
Add to that the return of key players that had not played in the team since February 2024 – Ekong, Ndidi, Aina, Osimhen.
Augustine Eguavoen was not meant to come out of the series of matches unscathed. He was to be the scapegoat for the failings of administration.
Also Read: Vigil For The Super Eagles! –Odegbami
He had no say or choice in the matter of the assignment he was saddled with but took up the challenge without missing a stride. He stepped in confidently, assured the country he would do his best, presented the strongest assembly of Nigerian players of the current generation.
Augustine Eguavoen and Victor Osimhen converse during Super Eagles training session in Uyo
Eguavoen had a few days to stop the drifting ship that had been in turbulent psychological storms since Gernot Rohr was relieved of his contract, his own previous unsuccessful stints as an interim coach, Jose Paseiro’s contract that was not renewed, Finidi George’s ‘failure over the only two matches and he had to resign, and German coach, Bruno Labadia, that jumped ship even before he was to set sail with the Super Eagles.
He led the team passed through the ‘crucible of fire’ and came out in flying colours with 4 out of 6 points and the Super Eagles standing comfortably atop the Group table.
In short, Augustine Eguavoen passed the test, ‘disappointed’ his critics, and created a beautiful new dilemma for his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation.
As head of the technical department of the NFF and because of his unconvincing records in the past, he may not be favoured as the best option to handle the Super Eagles on a permanent basis. But, surely, he has laid a new foundation.
With only one month to the next set of matches in the more challenging 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series, and from all indications, the NFF may ask him to go on and handle the team. Should he succeed again, they would have no option but keep the winning formula that is ‘Eguavoen’ and definitely tackle the begging question of who can and should manage the Super Eagles and take the team to the stratosphere of football.
Also Read: Bruno Who? – Big Gamble By The NFF –Odegbami
Nigeria should never be counted amongst the minnows of football in the world. The country should be amongst the giants.
The rest of the world acknowledges that the raw materials in players are readily available in the country. What is missing are the basic infrastructure, basic equipment and facilities, institutions to run the football at the grassroots, and visionary administrators to run the domestic game at all higher levels.
At the apex are the national teams that showcase the final products of everything before, and advertises Nigerian version of football at the various national levels, internationally.
In all of this, however, there is the most visible and most responsible person – the manager or coach of the national team.
It is a position that should never be treated with the levity we have witnessed in recent years where merit has been sacrificed on the altar of personal, political and financial interests.
Also Read: The World Did Not End? –Odegbami
The options before the Nigeria Football Federation after last week’s redemptive success are:
- Offer Augustine Eguavoen the job of national coach
- Get any one of a very few qualified and experienced Nigerian coaches. The list is short now – any one (or both) of Samson Siasia and Emmanuel Amuneke, and be prepared to sink or swim with the decision.
- Secure the assurance of the Federal Government pay the wages of a good foreign coach of good repute, credentials and records, to handle the team.
For any one of the above to succeed, however, it would require that Nigerians be patient, the coach be given the resources, time and allowed to work without distractions and interference.
For now, however, Nigerians must thank Augustine Eguavoen for what he did last week in restoring hope, confidence and the possibility of brighter days ahead for the Super Eagles.
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COMMENTS
Great points by Chief Odegbami, as always!
I’m big admirer!!
But I disagree with the suggestion that the Federal of Nigeria make assurance to pay the wages of a foreign coach. I’m totally against that idea. To me, it would be a slap on the face of tens of millions of long-suffering Nigerians for The Fed. Govt. to even consider doing such a thing.
Yes, as Nigerians we love soccer, but it would be unconscionable for our so-called Govt, to pay huge amounts to foreign coaches while our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children are going through incalculable suffering in our country every day.
Coach Eguaevon can do this job. Let him by given the job permanently and let us support him in whatever way we can.
Your point is disjointed mr man – there is no logical thread in the points you are making, the Fed Govt should resolve the suffering of the people regardless of football and what is happening in football, whether they hire Eguavoen or a foreigner, for me these issues are not mutually exclusive and both must be prioritised as a matter of the utmost urgency, I would say that alleviating the suffering of the masses should take precedence but that would be suggesting that Nigeria as a country isn’t capable of doing what every other nation in the world is doing.
Running a country has many facets to it and cannot be described as multi-tasking, there are different departments for different requirements and responsibilities which must all be carried out simultaneously to all dovetail into one consistent, well oiled and smooth running sovereign entity- so it would be madness to suggest that they FG should be doing one or the other or prioritising one over the other.
Whoever is given the SE’s job is still going to have to be paid – Eguavoen or a foreign coach, but as far as I am concerned (and I am shocked that it seems that most do not realise or have not even considered this) but for now the jury is still very much out on Eguavoen and so it must rightly be in any rational human being’s mind ke –
Kai! Nigerians are funny people o, our people are short-sighted to a dangerous extent!
Egu has only overseen a couple of games and we are here talking as if we know what will happen in the next 2 to 3 games, talk less of what will happen in the long run if he were to be made the permanent coach.
That is the same thing you all did with Finidi, he won one game and the whole country was in agreement and he was unanimously given the job – but we all know what happened afterwards don’t we? – The wise man who observed that hindsight is a great thing was not wrong ke.
The only smart money now must surely be on that we continue tentatively or otherwise sounding out very good substantive coaches the world over (whether black, white, blue or yellow kpakpaa) it does not matter, the ultimate aim is and must be to acquire a very good permanent coach for the SE’s once and for all – In the meantime, yes, yes, we can allow Eguavoen to carry on for the next few games, to see if he actually has what it takes and he can be our permanent coach who can bring the fortunes of the SE back to life, we go game by game – NEVER forgetting what the main objective is while also recognising the current dilemma and the immediate, short term requirements based on the woeful qualification efforts currently posted which are greatly endangering our efforts to qualify for two major tournaments, both of which are absolutely crucial priorities!
So we go from game to game, while sounding out other potentials, if Egu can drag the team through all the remaining games without drawing anymore games let alone losing any since those are the minimum requirements now if we are to qualify especially for the world cup, then the proof will be in the pudding and the choice will be obvious because not only would he have done a very good job, but would also have gotten into a way of working that produces results and the more he does that the more both the team and him get better and more used to playing well and winning and the at that stage – Yes, we can start saying oya let’s give Egu the job permanently, but if the opposite is the case and say for example he goes and draws or looses the next world cup qualifiers and then looses or draws the next Afcon qualifiers as well, then we will be more on the side of thinking that can we bring in one of the coaches who we have hopefully been sounding out and have in that process identified the best few men for the job with the candidates also knowing the size of the objective at hand and having indicated that they are willing and able to take on the herculean task at hand – sure these are the lines we should be thinking along ke? Abi, Is anyone there?? Chaii!
All this give Eguavoen the job, give Eguavoen the job, I am not against Eguavoen at all ke, but my thing is let us give the job to the best man and lets carry out due diligence to identify who that man is ke, whether by process of elimination ni o or by feeling out the suitability on a game by game basis (in Eguavoen’s case)- whatever we do, let’s do it with common sense now! Haba!
Which way Nigeria?? Ehn? Which very way??
I haven’t read what Chief Odegbami said o, so please take my submission as what it is, I am simply reacting to what ogbeni TONY said about what the Chief wrote.
And meanwhile, for those who are afflicted by wickedness and jealousy – you know yourself, the bad minded ghanaian – Osimhen, scored one and made another in Gala’s European victory tonight o!, so I hope you are seeing your life?
I will advise you to cease and desist from the desires of your blackened heart and seek forgiveness, hope for a brighter day because if you don’t, you will continue to see nothing but night ke – shebi you and your people are kuku called the “black stars” abi? A name that you agents of darkness gave your own selves. Nonsense. SMH
Can you imagine, should we say you having mental issues. You here trying to make fun of someone because of his opinion. Please which oshimen scored today? Or which Europa cup were you watching that oshimen scored.
Which oshimen scored today? So quick to berate someone but the joke is on you. Clearly old age is bothering you
Philip hehehehe – that’s how you animals embarrass yourselves and show what state you’re in, all you have and go by is hatred of others based on hunger, poverty, bad belle and lack of education and that will continue to haunt you because an irritant like you does not deserve better teehehehe.
So me pointing out to the guy that his point is misdirected is me “trying to make fun” of him abi? hahahaha, If so why did he not say so himself? Oh, you are hs mouthpiece abi? be careful they don’t chew you up and spit you out! Olosi Olori buruku dede!
If your father sent you to school but you were not paying attention, who’s fault is that?
Retarded imbecile of the 5th generation saying someone else has mental issues loool! It is madmen like you who are experts in knowing what a person with mental issues looks like ba?
You better go and look at yourself in a mirror again and re-appraise your nasty life before trying to call a person who is minding their own business out unnecessarily, you hear? useless simpleton.
If you had access and were able to watch the match and you did not see that the goal that was given to Baba as an OG was actually Osi’s legitimate goal, then there is no hope for you in this life!
Swegbe, mumu, retarded imbecile. Again, it is those who allowed an idiot like you to escape from the asylum and those who enabled technology to reach bottom dwellers like you that I blame, you are too low for me to even address – you half-wit keyboard madman.
Do your demented self a huge favour and crawl back under that stone from which you came or go and hug a high voltage transformer, because things like you are an abomination to human kind! Animal. lool
Philip hehehehe – that’s how you animals embarrass yourselves and show what state you’re in, all you have and go by is hatred of others based on hunger, poverty, bad belle and lack of education and that will continue to haunt you because an irritant like you does not deserve better teehehehe.
So me pointing out to the guy that his point is misdirected is me “trying to make fun” of him abi? hahahaha, If so why did he not say so himself? Oh, you are hs mouthpiece abi? be careful they don’t chew you up and spit you out! Olosi Olori buruku dede!
If your father sent you to school but you were not paying attention, who’s fault is that?
Retarded imbecile of the 5th generation saying someone else has mental issues loool! It is madmen like you who are experts in knowing what a person with mental issues looks like ba?
You better go and look at yourself in a mirror again and re-appraise your nasty life before trying to call a person who is minding their own business out unnecessarily, you hear? useless simpleton.
If you had access and were able to watch the match and you did not see that the goal that was given to Baba as an OG was actually Osi’s legitimate goal, then there is no hope for you in this life!
Swegbe, mumu, retarded imbecile. Again, it is those who allowed an idiot like you to escape from the asylum and those who enabled technology to reach bottom dwellers like you that I blame, you are too low for me to even address – you half-wit keyboard madman.
Do your demented self a huge favour and crawl back under that stone from which you came or go and hug a high voltage transformer, because things like you are an abomination to human kind! Animal. lool
Old soldier never die lool! Old man talking about old age teehehehe wonders wonders wonders