Augustine Eguavoen has been appointed as the interim coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national football team, by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
This appointment comes shortly after former coach Jose Peseiro resigned as the head coach of the Super Eagles due to his contract ending.
This is Eguavoen’s fourth time managing the national team, having previously led the Super Eagles during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Super Eagles media officer, Babafemi Raji, confirmed the appointment of Eguavoen on Saturday.
Raji stated that Eguavoen will be in charge of the team temporarily according to protocol until the NFF officially announces a permanent replacement for the national team coaching position, which they have not done yet.
“Usually, when the head coach of the main national team is out, the TD (Technical Director) takes over,” he said.
In June 2005, Eguavoen was named the temporary coach of the Nigeria national team along with his coaching staff, which included Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi, and Ike Shorunmu.
He led the team to a bronze medal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt by defeating Senegal in the third-place play-off. However, he was fired in April 2006.
In June 2010, the NFF requested that Eguavoen step in for Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck until he made a decision about his future.
Although he was brought in as a temporary manager, Eguavoen stated that he did not plan to apply for the position permanently.
Additionally, Eguavoen was appointed as the head coach of the Nigeria national under-23 football team in August 2010. Unfortunately, his team did not qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games after being eliminated in the group stage.
Due to the team’s failure to secure a spot in the Olympics, Eguavoen resigned from his position on December 5, 2011.
On December 12, 2021, Eguavoen was once again named the interim manager of Nigeria for the 2021 AFCON after Gernot Rohr left. Following Nigeria’s elimination in the round of sixteen against Tunisia, he resumed his role as the team’s Technical Director.
