AFCON Outing: Eguavoen To Know Fate After NFF Appraisal

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, Sports News Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Football Federation have confirmed the receipt of an in-depth technical report on the Super Eagles’ outing at the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon from the team’s technical crew led by Augustine Eguavoen.

The NFF Scribe, Mohammed Sanusi, in an official press statement issued Tuesday revealed that the submitted report was not only being appraised by the Federation but also by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

Mr Sanusi hinted that it is after the appraisal that the NFF will make known its position.

He said: “We have received the technical report on the AFCON 2021 and we are presently studying it, in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. Once the study and appraisal are done with, we will make known our position.”

Nigeria won all her three group phase matches against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau in Garoua, and emerged the only team in the tournament to log a maximum of nine points from three matches.

The team, however, lost by the odd goal to Tunisia in the Round of 16.

The Super Eagles will take on Ghana’s Black Stars in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round scheduled for the month of March.

There have been growing debate on whether Eguavoen should be retained to continue as the national team handler or whether an extra hand should be brought to manage the Super Eagles.

After the sacking of erstwhile Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, last December, Eguavoen who is the NFF’s Techincal Director, was drafted to lead the national team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Before the team’s departure, Portuguese manager, Jose Paseiro, was announced as the substantive Super Eagles coach but not much has been said about the former FC Porto coach since that grand announcement.

With the noticeable change seen in the Eagles’ play in Cameroon, there have been calls to jettison the plan for a foreign coach and stick with Eguavoen.

It is not clear for now if a satisfactory technical report will aid Eguavoen’s extended stay as Super Eagles coach or whether the NFF is going to follow through with its earlier desire to hire an expatriate coach for the national team.