Super Eagles interim coach, Austine Eguavoen has revealed that he’s under massive pressure to deliver the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Speaking from the Eagles training camp in Garoua, Eguavoen stated he has been saddled with a huge responsibility and he’s confident they will make Nigeria proud.
“Pressure yes, I am obviously. It’s just not me, even with Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola or Gernot Rohr you can’t say you won’t be under pressure.
“It’s like Manchester City, one of the best teams in the World at the moment, playing the best brand of football at the moment but with Guardiola, one coach that I adore, he has been unable to win the UEFA Champions League with City. You cannot say he is not under pressure to win it.
“People expect Nigeria to win the AFCON and that puts me under some pressure but I will take it and digest it. We take each game as it comes. All the teams here have come to prove a point.”
Eguavoen was the captain of the Super Eagles when Nigeria defeated Zambia in the final of the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia and was in charge of the Eagles when they placed third 12 years later at the 2006 AFCON in Egypt.
The team has been pitted alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in Group D. They will commence their campaign against the Pharaohs of Egypt on January 11.
28 Comments
“our own” you have the best set of players in Africa and we expect nothing but the trophy at.the end of the day
You were appointed because you were ‘tactically better’ than Rohr who came 3rd so go on and deliver
There’s no doubt about that, Eguavoen. The time is clearly too short but we believed you have done your best. Tell your charges to go out there, enjoy themselves on the pitch while doing us proud.
I see Afcon Gold in your hands. God bless you all.
Well spoken coach.
Yes o like Alhaji Diouf anything short off the trophy is a failure… Cos we came third last time under GENERAL ROHR so the experience is still there and it’s fresh… So in terms of star studded side with talents, potentials we are number one.. most valuable team, we are number 3 behind Senegal and ivory coast. And above all, “their Own” mr no nonsense is there…
The coach should take each match and analysis it perfect to acertain which formation he will deploy.
CSN with their nonsense, “Eguavon was the captain of the super eagles when Nigeria defeated Zambia to win 1994 Afcon” is it that you are owning your editor or the man simply doesn’t know his job? And back to you coach Eguavon, who is putting you under pressure with this your shabby preparation and unmerited team selection, continue deceiving yourself
Yes he was the Captain for that game Nigeria vs Zambia final of Tunisia 1994. The editor did not say team captain but captain for that particular match and he is right.
At least you did well to hide behind your keypad to insult others.
Oya na, clap for yourself keypad tiger.
Adegbesan, it is called manifestation of madness.
That is the question @ Ola, were you under durress when you take up the job. You told NFF that you can cope with pressue that in fact pressure is your twin brother.
You have gotten the job please no complain but the trophy.
NFF believe so much in your magic that is why they could afford to change coach at the eve of the biggest event in africa.
Quit complain, quit all these interviews that doesn’t brings hope and start perfecting your strategies with what you have.
If I were you egu, by now I would have been watching the clips of our opponents and know how to switch from one formation to another.
That is one area Algeria coach ranks ahead of others.
You are not under any pressure, play a good football and let us be convinced that Nigeria is still no push over interm of football in africa.
Your present set of players are far better than the team that made it to semi final at AFcon 2004. They lost to host nation via penalty shootout.
So NFF is no longer corrupt?
The moment it suits am. LMFAO
If I were you Egu, bla bla bla. So Egu will come and tell you minute by minute of how he is preparing, ode.
Then tell him we don’t want to here all those stories again.
Eranko! Tell your guy to stop telling us all these. Did they force the job on Him.
Some you of here stinks.
Even the nff is now a darling..lolo
You shouldn’t have bn under pressure like this if you were honest with the selections of the players.
You betrayed us and you can’t tell me that Ighalo, Akpeyi and John Noble have something to do in that team.
Why did you take four goalies to Cameroon? It doesn’t make any sense at all.
You most have a genuine reason for leaving Dessers out of the Afcon list. Dessers is the missing link in the Super Eagles.
Is he not good enough?
Is he not a Nigerian?
Is he not clinical enough in front of goal?
How about his positioning?
This is why Nigerians are still shanty Dessers name. Every where now they asking why you refuse to take Dessers with you to Cameroon and you are here talking about pressure?
Am in support of our own but that doesn’t mean I should not say the truth.
If it is true that NFF are still communicating with CAF to replace Ighalo then Dessers is the better option for Ighalo.
You better wake up and do the right thing now. We don’t want to see the return of Oga Rohr. I know what you capable of doing but don’t let NFF rope you coach Eguavoen. God bless Nigeria!!!
Omo9ja my friend, the Egyptian team too have 4 goalkeepers and the coach said that after training, they may all be tired so there is need for one to rest in prep for the next match. I never knew goalies go through such tremendous amount of drills until he mentioned ‘tired’. It’s in order, though Cerezo does not have the temperament to win AFCON but only God knows who wins. Happy New Year Bro
Happy new year to you my dear friend @Coache. New year multiple blessings it shall be by God’s grace.
However, my main concern is the Afcon list.
Coach Eguavoen did a shabby job on that list.
He intentionally dropped Dessers and none of the sport writers in Nigeria can ask the coach why did he ignore Dessers. All am seeing is copy and paste news.
More so, am not happy about the way coach Eguavoen wasted a slot for Ighalo.
Any day any time, I will choose Dessers over Ighalo.
It seems like coach Eguavoen doesn’t like Dessers. Upon all the news about Dessers replacing Ighalo, the interim coach said nothing about him just like Oga Rohr did to Dessers. That man wasted five years for nothing.
My main question now is, if our opponents mark down Umar Sodiq, who will be Eguavoen’s joker in Cameroon between Awoniyi and Olayinka?
This is where Dessers name comes in but Mr. No nonsense was busy talking about Amoo and Nasarawa striker. The coach is going to the battle field without having his weapons. How is he going to win the battle?
Amoo his for the future and likewise Okoye. It is well. God bless Nigeria!!!
@omo9ja rant all you want, all we want at the end of the day is the trophy. You said any coach would win with this group of players except Rohr. You said eguavoen is tactically sound and he’s Mr no nonsense who plays total football. Now, we want the total football to bring home the trophy. So stop whining like a little girl. Mr no nonsense went with the team he felt would give him the trophy. So let him be. If he felt 10 goalkeepers would do, let him have it. He’s the greatest tactician to come out of nigeria
You government officials won’t listen. You did not task Oga Rohr to win you Afcon trophy during his time but why now that our own are in charge of the Super Eagles they most win the Afcon trophy for Nigeria?
Common tea cup, Oga Rohr did not win. Bronze medal is nothing to Nigeria. We already won too many Bronze medals at the Afcon so, you have no right to ask Mr. No nonsense to win us Afcon trophy in two weeks.
You can see now that I am representing our beloved country?
It is my right and your own right to ask our own why they intentionally omitted Dessers and the rest of our best players from Afcon list.
I keep saying this, I don’t follow people blindly.
For sure, Mr. No nonsense will give us total football that Oga Rohr failed to do in five years.
He will try his best to win the tournament but nothing is guaranteed.
Let me stop here because I am still angry with Amaju and the coaches for chasing Dessers out of the team unnecessarily. God bless Nigeria!!!
That was Rohr first medal as a coach in his entire galaxy. Dessers doesn’t have agents who will give them 60% of whatever bonuses will come their way. He will not be involved in signing with new Agency agreements.
Who is Olayinka compared to Dessser or Amoo. It’s all about cashing out BIG TIME and fans expect the team to win with these dangerous trade offs
@omo9ja when Rohr was initially appointed, he was tasked with getting to the semis owing to the fact that we had missed 2 consecutive nations cup tournaments. Did he meet the target? Yes. When his contract was renewed, he was tasked with going a step further, getting to the finals to win the cup. He had qualified us for the AFCON but was sacked so don’t you open your mouth to say he wasn’t tasked to win the cup.
You specifically said the super eagles can win the AFCON with anyone but Rohr. You said 2 weeks is enough time to pass down tactics from a coach to this team. You said Cape Verde and CAR have a better coach than we did when Rohr was with us.
Be a man and stand by your words
Eguaveon already has a team built down for him……What he needs now is to get his philosophy into the head of his players quickly……. Eguaveon needs to study the strengths of this players and how best to utilize them to inflict maximum damage on opponents…..This task should not be difficult for him considering he was technical director and he has been around the teams for some time now……Some intelligent coaches will be licking their lips at such prospect…… Eguaveon should be Happy that he has been gifted such an opportunity to prove himself and write his name in Nigerian Football folklore forever.
He is talking about pressure on the job,lol. Which coach doesn’t face pressure in Football. Only when you are less prepared for your task that you will see pressure and complain. Skilled coaches see pressure and adapt without complain, because it comes with the territory.
But because you are not use to seeing pressure on a daily basis to win if you were engaged in youth football at a foreign clubsise, you complain at the slightest touch of it.
Let us continue to be watching your miracle unfold.
The Eagles are good to go but my worry is on the coach and crew. Games are not won on the pitch alone. Can Egu and co provide the technical competence needed for the team to excel? I have my worries
Make una let us hear word abeg.