‘AFCON 2023: Delay in Eguavoen’s successor not good for Super Eagles’
by Oviri Kelvin, Sports Editor, Abuja
Following the constraint on time to get the Super Eagles prepared for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, Nigerians have grimaced at the delay by the Nation’s football governing body (NFF) in announcing Augustine Eguavoen’s successor The Trumpet gathered.
Nigeria have been scheduled to play Sierra Leone at the MKO Abiola national stadium after approval to that effect was granted by the continental football governing body (CAF) in a letter conveyed to the NFF on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
But like a sheep without a Shepard, the Super Eagles are yet to know who steps in the stead to steer the team to success which is a question every concerned sports lover is begging to get answers from the NFF.
One could recall that the NFF after its technical and development committee submitted its report, swung into action to name new technical crews, which were all indigenous coaches, for the nation’s football teams.
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On the aspect of the Super Eagles, the NFF opted to secure the services of a foreign coach, an option which did not augur well with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development which preferred an indigenous gaffer with the 1994 nation cup winner, Sunday Olise, in its scope.
Adamantly, NFF made a list of foreign coaches vying for the Super Eagles’ job with Portuguese Jose Poseiro, former PSG manager, Laurent Blanc, Ernesto Valverde, and Phillip Cocu all in the frame.
However, from a source, NFF forwarded Jose Poseiro as the successful candidate to succeed Eguavoen, a choice opposed by the sports ministry who faulted the NFF’s selections over an improperly conducted screening.
The sports ministry reminded the NFF that they are much concerned about who takes charge of the Nigeria senior men’s team because they will be responsible to foot the bills of the head coach.
With this internal imbroglio, Nigerians have lamented that the impasse is harming the Super Eagles’ preparation for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
A former Nigeria goalkeeper, Andrew Aikhoumogbe, bemoaned that Nigeria was supposed to have announced Augustine Eguavoen’s successor by now.
He warned that a further delay in announcing the foreign coach would not tell well of a nation preparing for an imminent 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
“I expected that by now the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would have named a substantive coach for the Super Eagles so that the new coach can quickly get used to the system in Nigeria,” Aikhuomogbe told Complete Sports from Cairo, Egypt.
“Delaying the announcement of a new foreign coach may not be too good for Nigeria, because the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will commence soon.
“NFF must get this right before it is too late,” he added.
