Eguavoen denies stepping down as Super Eagles coach

The Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen, has firmly denied reports suggesting he is stepping down as the interim coach of the Super Eagles following their recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

According to The PUNCH, the speculation emerged after Nigeria’s matches against the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Eguavoen’s interim appointment came after the NFF struggled to finalize the hiring of German coach Bruno Labbadia, citing stringent German tax laws as the primary obstacle.

According to the NFF’s statement, Eguavoen was designated to oversee the Super Eagles for the crucial 2025 AFCON qualifying fixtures against the Benin Republic on September 7 in Uyo, and Rwanda on September 10 in Kigali.

The 59-year-old coach steered Nigeria to a resounding 3-0 victory over the Benin Republic in Uyo, but the team was held to a goalless draw by Rwanda in Kigali.

Despite the mixed results, rumours circulated that Eguavoen would be stepping down as interim coach following Tuesday’s draw.

Addressing these reports upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Eguavoen expressed his frustration with the misinformation.

“It’s quite unfortunate that people just trigger something that is not correct. And the situation we are in now, we don’t need negative stories,” Eguavoen stated during a media interaction.

He clarified his position, saying, “I only talked about sitting down with the hierarchy of the federation after these two games and we will see how to go about prosecuting the next games. But when I saw that story I was worried. Whatever people are reading out there aren’t correct. I’m still very much in charge. I’m the Technical Director of the NFF, saddled with the responsibility of taking the Super Eagles at this moment,” he added.

Eguavoen’s focus now shifts to preparing the Super Eagles for their upcoming double-header against Libya next month, as they continue their campaign for AFCON qualification.