Former Super Eagles interim coach, Austine Eguavoen has debunked claims that certain players were forced on him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against the Black Stars of Ghana in the 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Recall that Eguavoen failed to qualify Nigeria for the world football showpiece in Qatar due to the team’s inability to beat Ghana at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
However, it was suggested that some top officials at the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the sports ministry mandated the former coach to make as many as five changes for the second leg of the World Cup qualifying playoff between Nigeria and Ghana in Abuja.
But then, Eguavoen in a chat with SuperSport Monday Night Football has debunked such claims, stating that those players that started the game merited it.
“That’s not true, nobody can force any player on me,” the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner told SuperSport Monday Night Football.
“We’ve all been watching Lookman week in, week out and he has been doing tremendously well in his club not just in Leicester City, Fulham, even when he went abroad.
“And you can have a Lookman in the team following the performance of Moses Simon of late because you tell Moses, ‘you know what to do’. He’s got that technique, he’s got the ability to do things.
“Moses, physically he’s stronger than Lookman whether we like it or not physically, and I just felt that Lookman at home can do things and after a certain time Moses can come and finish the job because he’s got energy, he’s got the strength.”
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COMMENTS
With such humility. Eguavoen is set to go places, that is the truth but we all know when good thing wants to happen the devil will he restless.
The only place he needs to go is back to doing office things. He should just stay away from coaching ever again.
A coach who won 4 games in 7 matches doesn’t look like someone who players will be forced on. The away goal rule besides Uzoho error was just unfortunate. And since we have already picked the pieces despite the bitterness we felt, the only option is to have a way forward though that is mostly left for the NFF to do.
What piece have you already picked up? Keep fooling yourselves. You still have all those NFF guys and the clown sports Minister still running things. Sometimes I just feel people talk just to use words not caring if it’s applicable or not. Picked up the pieces… my foot!
Can this bribe eater shush!!!
If there’s one thing I like about coach Eguavoen, is his truthfulness. He must continue to talk to shame his distractors. They are already scared he will continue at his duty post with his lads.
You are day-dreaming. No body is scared of his been reappointed, because even NFF will be scared of been stoned if they do that,not forgetting that they had already apologised to Nigeria for Super Eagles failure. Bros, EGUAVOEN will not smell that position, at least for now, until he improves himself and proves that he has really improved. If you ever think that NFF will reappoint him as SE coach, I am sorry to say that you are not telling yourself the truth.
Is not enough to be making noise. If you are sure of yourself, name one person that is better qualified than Eguavoen or simply remain quiet. Don’t even bother to mention foreign coaches because they will never be accepted here.
What qualification are you talking about, precisely?
The fear of those foreign coaches is that they might be kidnapped for ransome while in Nigeria. Josë Peseiro ran away for the same reason. I think the earlier we work with a domestic coach the better.
Propaganda. What kind of nonsense is that? How many foreign coaches have been kidnapped ever before? Even the Superfalcons team has a foreign coach. You people no they learn. Any Nigerian coach who wants to go far should go out of Nigeria and attach themselves to European teams. There is no knowledge here. You people just say anything to defend what is indefensible. Wake up.
@Nelsonlina are you threatening to kidnap any coach that is not Nigerian, what a pathetic human scum!!
Ekuafoen nids tu stop toking. He is not di Koch animore. This stories abaut him are becoming tu moch.
‘you know what to do’……LMAOOooo
No wonder we started failing immediately coaches who have video analysts watched our team again and again and found our ‘all our players could do’
And this man calls himself a coach…..LMAOooo
A whole technical director of Nigerian football pours out 11 players on the pitch every time and all he tells them is “go and express yourself, you know what to do”
Liars Utd and Retrogressive Failures…..I hope y’all are seeing the magnitude of the calamity you all brought on our football…?
People don’t know how inept this guy really is. I have seen all of his games and just can’t believe how much gap he needs to make up. For most people it’s only too late to breach the gap. They are those kinds of mistakes that you can only learn by attaching yourself to a European club. For Eguavoen, it’s already too late to start doing all that. He should just stick to office runs
What about IGHALO that some FORUMITES said PINICK forced on him??
I guess it’s all RUMOURS…
The man has good standing, nff should go and beg him to see if he will continue.
Eguavoen was driven by sheer madness to make 5 changes in the return leg against Ghana at Abuja. Nigeria needed to score just one unanswered goal!The wonder is that his colleagues – Amuneke and Yobo didn’t see anything wrong with this decision. Maybe there was a conspiracy to sabotage the World Cup Qualification.
Continuity is necessary and I don’t think Eguavoen is a bad coach. His players, particularly the goal keepers let him down and if they can work on this and beef up the midfield, he can go a long way with the team.
An entirely new coach would have to start from scratch trying to know the SE players and would not know where attention is more needed to make a good team.
He is a bad coach. I don’t know what you have seen to think he is any good. His mistakes are what he cannot learn on the job. He needs to go and attach himself to a foreign club. He cannot do that while he is still the SuperEagles coach.
Meanwhile, Austin’s Eguavoen has performed very well. He is the only way forward mostly now that we have only three months to commence preparations for 2023 Afcon. My question goes to the football federation, why are you not addressing us?
I tire for NFF o. And to be candid, we have only 3 months remaining for Afcon qualifiers, nna nawao!!!
Guys is this not SADIQ?…. https://www.facebook.com/reel/712791483501163?fs=e&s=cl
If only they will swallow their pride to beg Me. Eguavoen, we might have a chance in the forthcoming Afcon in Ivory coast.
Error corrected…Mr Eguavoen…
What are you SAYING?
BEG him for what?
You mean “begging a coach that crash landed and nose-dived in failure”? Joke of the century.
Equavoen is not a coach once you stop simon and chukwueze he becomes confused the only way out is a grade b foreign coach nigeria coach should go prove themselves somewhere else and learn
When will this man just go away?!
I have been in deep mourning since we lost the game to Ghana.
Rohr was bad, Eguavoen is worse and the NFF are the worst. Bitter truth.
The Only player forced on Eguavoen were Ahmed Musa, Odion Ighalo, Abdulahi Shehu… The others he made poor selection i.e. leaving Kevin out for Shehu leaving Victor Moses out and not having the wisdom to include him.
@ugo, welcome back so you now heart to start commenting, welcome back once again.
Just go you big fool!