Eguavoen sceptical of Super Eagles job, gives conditions for permanent stay

After securing four points, three goals, and two clean sheets in June’s AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda, the NFF retained Eguavoen as Nigeria’s interim coach for October’s qualifier. However, the 59-year-old isn’t eager to take the role permanently.

Austine Eguavoen, the interim head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, has outlined the conditions under which he would consider taking the role permanently.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed Eguavoen as interim coach for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda in September. After securing four points, three goals, and two clean sheets in both matches, the NFF retained the 59-year-old for the upcoming AFCON qualifier fixtures against Libya in October.

The NFF’s ongoing search for a permanent head coach has fueled speculation about Eguavoen staying on, but the former Bendel Insurance coach told Brila FM, “It will be a tough one. You have to give me a long-term contract with patience and clauses in that contract because winning is not guaranteed every week or day.

“The Super Eagles job I’m doing now, if I were to switch permanently, it’s something I’d need to sit down, reflect, and think deeply about because it’s not a small job.”

Since Finidi George resigned as Super Eagles manager in June, the NFF has been seeking a permanent, preferably foreign, replacement.

However, according to ESPN, “Unless the team suffers some catastrophic results during the qualifiers, the search for a new coach for the Super Eagles is all but on ice for now, as the NFF does not have the funds to pay for a new coach.”

Before his interim appointment in September, Eguavoen had been serving as the NFF technical director since 2020. It remains unclear if he will be hired permanently as the Eagles’s coach, or resume his technical director duties fully.

Some might argue that Eguavoen staying on as the men’s national team coach would raise questions of conflict of interest since his role as technical director means he has a role in deciding who takes the job permanently. However, the NFF could be saving money should they decide to keep him as the head coach and technical director.

Meanwhile, Eguavoen is no stranger to managing the Super Eagles, having led the team on three previous occasions: 2005 to 2007, 2010, and again in 2022 (as interim).

In his last managerial stint, the former Insurance coach oversaw three wins, two losses, and one draw in six matches.