NFF Appoints Eguavoen As Super Eagles Interim Coach

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reportedly appointed Augustine Eguavoen as the interim coach of the men’s national team, Super Eagles.

The appointment comes barely 24 hours after former coach Jose Peseiro resigned as the Super Eagles head coach due to contract expiration.

Naija News reports that this is the fourth time Eguavoen is managing the men’s national team after he coached the Super Eagles to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Super Eagles media officer, Babafemi Raji, confirmed this development to Peoples Gazette on Saturday.

Raji said Eguavoen will temporarily lead the team par protocol until a permanent replacement is named by the NFF, who are yet to officially comment on the national team coaching situation.

“Usually, when the head coach of the main national team is out, the TD (Technical Director) takes over,” he said.

Recall that Eguavoen was appointed the caretaker coach of the Nigeria national team in June 2005 with his coaching staff, including Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu.

He managed the national team at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where the team won a bronze medal, beating Senegal in the third-place play-off. Weeks later, Eguavoen was sacked in April 2006.

In June 2010, the NFF asked Eguavoen to replace Swedish Lars Lagerbäck until he decided on his future plans.

He was brought in as caretaker manager but said that he has no intention of submitting an application to take the role on a permanent basis.

Eguavoen was also appointed as the head coach of the Nigeria national under-23 football team in August 2010, but failed to qualificy for the 2012 London Olympic Games after his team was knocked out in the group stage.

On 5 December 2011, he resigned from his job following the failure to secure the Olympics ticket.

Eguavoen was again appointed manager of Nigeria on an interim basis for the 2021 AFCON on 12 December 2021, following the departure of Gernot Rohr.

After Nigeria exited from the round of sixteen with an agonising defeat to Tunisia, he returned to his position as the Technical Director of the team.