Interim coach of the Super Eagles, Austine Eguavoen has reiterated that the senior national team can lift the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations regardless of the time frame left for them to prepare.
Eguavoen made this known in an interview with Brila FM, where he said that he’s optimistic of Nigeria’s chances at the tournament in Cameroon.
Recall that the three-time AFCON champions are pitted alongside Egypt, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan in Group D, with the team facing the Pharaohs in the opening game on January 11.
“Yes. You don’t go to war without thinking about winning. We have to also take it step by step. Most teams going to the AFCON there aspire to win it. But we have to take it a game at a time.”
“It’s hard to say yes or no, but we guarantee to make them happy.
“Luck also plays a part, we’ll do our own work and we are certain of the support and we’ll just take the games one at a time.”
68 Comments
CSN the headline should have been “Eguavon thinks he would win the Afcon with the super eagles” not the way you just put it. Cos the guy is still thinking so we should have allow him to continue with his thinking until he his done.
Recent events that has led to the new dispensation in the Super Eagles is a classical preparation blueprint for achieving a colossal failure at a major championship that is barely three weeks away. For Austin Eguavoen, a man that calls himself the technical adviser of Nigeria to now tell us that he is going to win the AFCON tournament with Super Eagles in Cameroon after scheming out the previous handler on the eve of the championship is indeed a slap on our faces. Fast forward to 2006 AFCON. This same man schemed out the then coach who he was assisting and promised to deliver the goods. That time, he had close to a year to prepare.
The fact is he failed in the task (maybe some will consider third place finish a win for him). Also, that team had players like Austin Okocha, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Joseph Yobo and a rising youngster called Mikel Obi in it’s ranks. Eguavoen’s team still lacked a new breath of life.
The main reason Eguavoen will not succeed in Cameroon is the lack of trust and faith from his players that he will first have to overcome considering the manner he has inherited this team. The time before the competition is just too short to overcome this impending obstacle. Adegboye Onigbinde could not bridge the gap in 2002 with 6 months to spare.
How can Eguavoen achieve it in a little more than three weeks. NFF shouldn’t have fired Gernot Rohr until after the world cup qualifiers.
Bro we’ve move beyond this lamentation, eguavoen is the present coach and he sure need our support, after all rorh is not gonna win it still, so let the new coach work and who told you he can’t eventually surprise us and win it? The players are there and with luck, nothing is impossible, we’ve seen coach win major tourney in a short time before now. Not how far bro but how well.
That’s the winner’s mentality coach! I like this. The coach’s mentality always reflects on the team. Timid coach =Timid Team, Bold & Adventurous coach = Bold & Adventurous team. Football can be really simple most times.
What did he say that is different from your so called timid coach?
Eguavoen said…….“Yes. You don’t go to war without thinking about winning. We have to also take it step by step. Most teams going to the AFCON there aspire to win it. But we have to take it a game at a time. It’s hard to say yes or no, but we guarantee to make them happy”.
That’s a typical way all coaches talk, including Rohr
@ Dr Banks, Why did you mention Rohr; I would never understand. I did not mention names if you noticed. Funny how I mentioned the word timid and what comes to your mind is Coach Rohr and NO! coach Rohr does speak confidently like this. Let us support Eguavoen.
Nice1 Coach, we are behind you, entering Cameroon via Akwa Ibom. Good luck!!!
Some unpatriotic Nigerians now want eguavon and the super eagles to fail just because they sacked thier Demi god rohr.lol.
Nothing do you, Coach Egu. Meanwhile, let’s have your plans for the Super Eagles.
With all humility. Just look at the way he addressed the words despite being left with few days to the nations cup. God is on your side as it is now clear you were chosen by HIM, Elohim. God bless SE of Nigeria.
Is it the devil that chose the coach of all the other teams in the competition?
In the last 5 years, this is the first time I have heard of luck being mentioned by a coach. No longer by hard work abi??? Luck now has a role to play.
We are in for it. No worries, we never begin training, yet we can win by mouth. Kwontinue.
@Ben,Come on! Have you not heard of Epl coaches using terms like ” the Rub of the green”? Please let us support him.
He also said we can lift it regardless it time. what were you expecting from a coach that is givenas only 2 weeks to a competition?
He was the Technical director bro so he was part and parcel of Rohr’s team, and the players are there already from GR era so he is not building a new team.
IT WAS THE SAME 2 WEEKS OF PLANNED CAMPING BY ROHR SO LET’S STOP WITH THIS EXCUSE OF “TWO WEEKS”!!!
Yessoh l agree with you
Amaju Pinnick’nff should ensure every support is given to Eguas. This is how a national coach should talk.
This is my team for AFCON based on current form:
Okoye
Aina………Balogun………Ekong/Awaziem……….Zaidu
Ndidi………Onyeka………..Aribo/Iwobi
Dennis……..Osimhen/Awoniyi……..Ejuke
Uzoho, Adeleye, Akpoguma, Bassey, Ebuehi, Omeruo, V. Moses. Simon, Iheanacho, Dessers, Chukwueze (Amoo, Collins, Musa, Ighalo as extras to make up list of 28)
What’s Onyeka doing on that list? Even Iheanacho, those two are total waste of space. Let me help you. @Bank
Ighalo for experience should start ahead of Dennis. V. Moses has to be in from the onset. These are experienced nation’s cup materials and you don’t bench them for rookies. You do that, you lose to Egypt. Ighalo on the lineup is enough reason to distabalize the pharaohs of Egypt.
Well said, nothing to add. Imagine Afcon golden boot holder on the bench, that’s no sense. It is even a tribalised list. Some of them don’t merit to be there.
@Yomi, I only placed V Moses and Ighalo on the bench because we are still not certain of their availability due to recent media reports.
Eguavoen was planted by Pinnick a year ago to sabotage Rohr’s work. Now that he’s in-charge I’m sure Nigerians will now witness a real disaster at AFCON as the man has no coaching experience at the international level
The best list on merit
Good list but I will tweak it a lil, I would add adeleye for okoye. Okoye is good but I believe adeleye has a better all round game.
Ekong is currently off form nd should not be starting.
The midfield needs rejigging. I would replace iwobi with amoo.
Agreed. Iwobi is tired. Amoo is the real force to reckon with.
I tire @Ben in this modern day game I rarely see luck in football. It has evolved beyond that. Even if is a game of penalties top class coaches hardly talk of luck in football. They choose the once that have the expertise in that field. And that is why you will see world class coach like Tuchel switches sometimes by bringing kepa for Mendy. But no wahala, we Sidan dey look..
THIS IS GOOD INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT.THIS IS WHAT ROHR DOESN’T HAVE INSTEAD HE WILL BE SAYING SO SO COUNTRY HAVE LOSE AT HOME FOR PAST 35 YEARS.
BUT WITH THE TECHNICAL CREW OF BRIBE TAKERS, AM NOT SURE WILL PARADE A RIGHT PLAYERS THAT CAN DELIVER AFCON
Some so called ‘fans’ have lost interest in the AFCON just because their preferred coach has been sacked.
They are dissapointed that the NFF finally found the ink and paper to write the sack letter.
They jubilated when coach Rhor released his so called 40 man list. They sent us links to the website as proof that Rhor was fully in charge and “waxing stronger”.
The truth is that if Rohr had stayed, I would have supported him, not because I felt he was a good coach, but because I am in love with the SE. Infact, I will support my worst enemy if he can do a good job with the SE.
But, all the same, thank God coach Rohr is gone. Good riddance!
Truth be told, the SE was too big for Mr Rohr. Proof: Niger, Burkinafaso, Gabon. These are not nations you mention in the same breath with Nigeria as far as football is concerned.
Mr. Eguavoen, I welcome you!
If I had to suggest ten coaches to the NFF, Eguavoen would not have been one of them. However, HE HAS MY TOTAL SUPPORT going to the AFCON.
Rhor left a bitter taste in our mouths. He insulted us by expecting us to congratulate him for a draw against minnows (yes, minnows!). Hopefully, that episode is over for good.
I wish you well Mr Eguavoen. Please put some joy in our hearts again.
I am astounded at how some people talk without using their brain on this forum………@Bomboy said…….”Truth be told, the SE was too big for Mr Rohr. Proof: Niger, Burkinafaso, Gabon. These are not nations you mention in the same breath with Nigeria as far as football is concerned”.
And SE is not too big for Eguavoen who took U-17 players including Mikel Obi, Ogbuke, Isaac Promise, Solomon Okonkwo, Sarki, Vanzekin etc but couldn’t get out of group stage in Finland. Same team formed the spine of the Siasia’s 2005 FIFA U-20 WC that won Silver and repeated the same feat in 2008 Olympics while Eguavoen couldn’t even Qualify Nigeria to 2012 Olympics as he crashed out again in the group stage of CAF U-23 Tournament for Qualification.
Eguavoen coached one of the best talented set of players to AFCON 2006 which include Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu, Vincent Enyeama, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu, Odemwinge, Wilson Oruma, Chidi odia, Mikel Obi, Taye Taiwo, Aghahowa, Yobo, Christian Obodo, Stephen Makinwa, John Utaka, Garba Lawal, Nsofo etc. But our guy Ogun efan could not win a single knockout stage match in regulation time plus extra time hence lost in S/F.
We all support SE irrespective of the coach in any tournament but we need to talk when we know we deserve better.
I was a staunch supporter of Rohr as SE Coach simply because we know NFF and Pinnick cannot afford to give us a better coach and that’s exactly what happened with these consortium of failed coaches handed to us for the AFCON 2022.
Thank you Dr. Banks. We’ve already moved on from Rohr era. He will collect his payoff as Nigeria is a country that shouldn’t worry about parting with $2m. We all know Rohr will eventually leave one day and we’ve pitched our support for Eguavoen. He’s been with the team all this while receiving reports from Rohr as the technical director therefore, he knows this team and he’s not building a new team. There’s a team on ground. We just want to see the entertaining football and an impeccable pattern of play irrespective of the results. For those already resigning to fate that we’re going to AFCON to experiment no problem we will cross the bridge when we get there. VAMOS ARRIBBA SUPEREAGLES!!!
Thanks Ayphillydegreat, I only wish SE the best in AFCON so I can be a Proud 9ja Man for yonder
But b4 I move on on Rohr issue, permit me to share his words that touched me during Colin Udoh’s Space interview of which am a participant:
Rohr said……”I can understand the critics. Everybody wants to have the best for Nigeria; they want to have beautiful football and good results”.
Sometimes it’s not easy to do these two things; to have the results and also to make a big spectacle and to play a beautiful game. The thing that is very important, the first one now must be the result and that is what we tried all the time to do. But all the time also with good offensive spirit and good scores.
At the end he said………”I will be the No. 1 supporter of my players in the next AFCON”.
We appreciate you too Gernot Rohr, Good luck!!!
Who is still talking about Rohr? My SE list for the Super Eagles Coach, Austine Eguavoen;
Okoye
Aina….Balogun….Ekong….Awaziem……Collins
Amoo….V.moses/Iwobi
Ighalo…..Osimhen/Desser….
Bench:
Uzoho, Ejuke, Adeleye, Bassey, Ebuehi, Omeruo, Simon, Iheanacho, Dessers, Chukwueze Ndidi,, Musa.
Pls add Aribo before Egu adopted your list.
@Gafar:
Oh no! It was a slip of my keyboard. Aribo, on the bench. Tanks.
@ProfJeff and @ ABDULRAZAK LMAO!!!
Where is Deniss in your line up? Okoye is not good enough. Adeleye should be the #1 between the post. Ekong is tired ooooo.
You don’t know what u are doing Ndidi bench.
Emmanuel Dennis deserves to be in that team’s (Super Eagles) first eleven on current form.
Thanks
@Johnsom, I would prefer Ndidi to Amoo because of experience. You don’t take newbies to a tournament like Afcon, you need experienced hands. Im all, your 11 members team is ok
@seun dejo, mbappe was the youngest in the French team at last world cup and ended up being arguably their best player. Pele must have been 17 when he first won the world cup . It is only in Africa we have this mentality of sentiments. 30 plus years old man who is qualified and has good character wants to contest elections, he is told he is too young and opt for men who are 70 yrs old into public office. Let us start doing things on merit and may be Africa would start rising. Bukayo Saka, Smile Smith Rowe, Martinelli are all youngsters and are practically carrying the Arsenal team. Musialla is in the German team but for Africa and Africans Meritocracy gives way for Sentiments. You will hear things like ” Afcon golden boot winner on the bench?”, ” quota system”, ” experienced “. The funny thing with this sentimental mindset, we still expect success. THERE is no point reinventing the wheel, simply learn from successful nations o how they achieved their success , I am sure it was not based on sentiments. Let us reason together, if you have an employee who did well last appraisal year and did woefully in subsequent appraisal years, do you appraise him on his recent performance or on that one appraisal year he did well?
If Amoo is omitted, Nigeria won’t go anywhere. Amoo is better than Messi or Saka.
This is how the NFF deceives Nigerians. They raise hopes and divert the attention of the poor masses from corruption and why coaches are not paid and the quality of the local league is poor
They don’t even play the same position. Ndidi is a DM Amoo is an AM. I wonder how someone would put together a list with a DM (No Ndid, no Onyeka, no Bonke etc.).
@Yomi Ehineren nice one! @Prince mehn which one is tribalised list again…you cracked me up there mehn… LMAO!!!
Giam d Green White Green jersey next time.
@Johnson, well work.
That is the Nigerian spirit. Anything can happen. We are all rooting for Eguavoen to succeed at this point. Carry go.
If not FIFA ban, I would rooted for samson siasia. He is the only indigenous coach that I can bet my money on.
Last last this present set of technical crew will still disappoint se fan. Time will tell.
Taking a cue from coach Eguavon.” With luck on my side, I will become a billionaire before the end of 2021″
Just a little bit of cheering news on AFCON Television rights:
SuperSport
@SuperSportTV
· Dec 15
SuperSport has secured the rights to broadcast all 52 games of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament will take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022.
Follow all the action LIVE on DStv and Showmax.
No more streaming for those based in Africa
Eguavoen continue to con Nigerians,January is here,you will be expose as fraud, I’m not a Rohr’s fan but Eguavoen is not the answer. Pinnick, aigbogun, Adelakun and Eguavoen story for another day..
FROM GOAL.COM
Nigeria
Although the Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen is yet to name his preliminary squad for Afcon 2021. Here is a predicted team the three-time African kings could assemble in the coming days.
Predicted squad
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho; Daniel Akpeyi, Maduka Okoye, Ojo Olorunleke, John Noble, Ikechukwu Ezenwa
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo; Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong; Olaoluwa Aina; Jamilu Collins, Abdullahi Shehu; Zaidu Sanusi; Kevin Akpoguma, Tyronne Ebuehi, Valentine Ozornwafor
Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo; Wilfred Ndidi; Frank Onyeka, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, Innocent Bonnke, Kingsley Michael
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Emmanuel Dennis, Victor Osimhen; Kelechi Iheanacho; Moses Simon; Paul Onuachu, Terem Moffi, Henry Onyekuru, Chidera Ejuke
These journalists sometimes only write rubbish, they are not current. What is Etebo (injured), Ezenwa (inactive), Noble (inactive), Kingsley (injured), Onyekuru (off form) doing on the list?
Winning da Cup, he said, dats totally off, however, I wish him da best of luck!
There are many factors for you coach Eguavoen to lift Afcon. Cup in Cameroon as follow:one:- you must put a classical Nigerian football with a drastic and rigid defensive style with pressing and combative and strong football; second:- you must select a quality players who have a soul and also have a love of Ngeria jersy;strong at thier clubs, have a charisma and geniuns;thirdly:- you must put a plan on how to vie in this championship; these plans on playing a friendly matches versus a countries have the same style on SE group just like Equatoria Guinea,kenya or Ethopia, Liybia or Morocco;fourthly:- you must demand all support from NFF for like comfortable flight,excellent facilities, paying players bounuses on time, comfortable hostelry for the team;fifthly:- you must appeal and adjuroe an encouragement from Nigerian fans to fill stadiums for SE without doing any frustration against SE through currents of thier matches espcially Egypt match.I recommend Eguavoen to select thoes players who I think have these attributes I mentioned above like: Vitor Moses,Victor Osimhen,Cyriel Dessers,Sadiq Umar,Usman Mohammed,Akinkunmi Amoo,Ovie Ejaria,Alhassan Ibrahim,wifred Ndidi,ChidozieAwaziem,Adeleye,Okoye,Uzoho,Kelvin Akpoguma,Calvin Bassey,Aina,Ebuehi,Sanusi,Collins,Iwobi,Chukwueze,Simon,Ahmed Musa.
Please, stop mentioning Victor Osimhen. He is seriously recuperating from his injuries. Your list is very nice to see. No problem with it. Thanks anyhow.
This Alimajiri Coach with technical ineptitude/maladroitness that has nothing to offer came out to say something and those that can not remember what happen to SE before Rorh came and are celebrating him. Can’t you see the handwriting of failure on the wall already?
Sacking Rohr when a major tournament is less than a month and recruiting Augustine E. is a great sign of backward integration and if he passes through the first round of the competition in Cameroon, I will congratulate him.
I thing this is the greatest error NFA has ever made. I wait for somebody to prove me right or wrong in the next one month.
/
Wow Johnson, I salute you for having the courage to put Ndidi on the bench.
You get liver sha!
Me, at the moment, I can’t imagine a Nigeria line up without Ndidi. Unless he’s unavailable. I may be wrong, but hey, Ndidi is a tough player to exclude from any team.
Fortunately, you have 10 players in your formation instead of 11. So I will just slot Ndidi into the DM position, and replace Collins with Bassey.
BTW, where is THE MENACE?
Dennis needs to be in the squad.
Good line up, Dr. Banks.
Balanced midfield. Explosive attack. For me, Awaziem gets the nod ahead of Ekong for now. But if we’re playing 3 center backs, Ekong will start.
My only change would be to start Bassey in the left back position.
That attack will be key for us.
Lazy journalism or arm chair journalism.
This was meant to be under @Dr Banks thread.
That is the 9ja spirit. We don’t say no to success. We dream big and we pray at the same time.
We are Nigerians and we know what we capable of. So, we are solidly behind you Mr. No nonsense.
Impossible is nothing. Siasia and his team arrived on match day during the Olympics and our boys did really well and they won their opening match and went ahead to the third place and in the end, Nigeria won Bronze medals.
We are Nigerians and with God, we can do anything.
No shaking coach Eguavoen. We are nothing going to Cameroon to just make the numbers but to win the tournament. That is the target. God is in control. God bless Nigeria!!!
Osimhen seems to be in good spirits, based on his twitter activity. He may be ready to go to Afcon, after all. The doctors should examine him, and if he needs more time off, he should take it.
Better to have a 100% Osimhen fit and ready for the world cup playoff in March, than risking Osimhen at the Afcon, if he’s not fully healed.
Anyways , I would want the NFF as well as everyone who’s on this platform to ensure that this dude is considered for the Nigerian national team as this won’t be an excuse . I remember when Alaba showed up in Bayern Munich colours and by the time one wanted to know whether he’s available, it so happens that he’s already played for Austria at the end of 17 and this also happened because NFF never took notice of him for all his life , he’s been dreaming of playing for the Super Eagles due the influence of sunday oliseh when he was playing for Dortmund.
This young man should not pass the Super Eagles by .
For the issue of Eguavon as a coach , he just have to say what’s positive to himself . Whereas we all are aware of how disorganised our football is when it comes to coaching and administration. I wish him well all the same .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G0M5svSL7k
SHOLA “SHOW BOY” SHORETIRE. OR YOU CAN CALL HIM “SHOLA SHOW”.
My nicknames for him, of course. Looool!
Needs a bit of polishing, but hey, he’s only 17!
His game is more mature than his age, that’s for sure.
Let him come and train with the big boys.
He obviously needs to bulk up. A bit small for the African game, though his talent may likely even the odds. Perhaps even give him an advantage. We will only know for sure if we give him a chance.
Even if he’s too young for the SE, NFF should still show massive interest in this lad. Draft him to the U-20 squad asap to begin with.
Now to some hard facts. Do you really know what it feels like to play or to be a coach and not to be paid for months. Should Nigeria or the NFF not be ashamed about this. Do we all know this can reduce someone’ s motivation?
For those in Nigeria or even in diaspora, can you all tell me how your productivoity will be after 5 months of not being paid?
Lets call nonsense what is nonsense?
Rohr tolerated the nonsense called NFF and working as super eagles coach for too long.
No wonder Victor Moses is not even thrilled to come back to the eagles.
It baffles me how Nigeria threw away a rare diamond in omidiji jnr through improper player management
And here we are in need of proper attacking midfielder
11 January