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Super Eagles caretaker coach Austin Eguavoen made a media appearances ahead of the AFCON qualifier clashes.
Super Eagles interim coach Austin Eguavoen told reporters that he did not lobby to get the job and only accepted it due to duty and a desire to give back to the sport.
The NFF announced that the 59-year-old will oversee the Super Eagles for the coming AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda after their negotiations with German coach Bruno Labbadia fell through.
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02:40 - 31.08.2024
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20:35 - 03.09.2024
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Eguavoen has been the national team's technical director since 2020, and he will assume the head coach role for this international break. The Super Eagles legend has coached the national team in three separate stints, the latest being in 2021, when he coached the team at the AFCON following the abrupt sacking of Gernot Rohr.
What Eguaveon said
Speaking on NFF TV, per OJB, he explained that he did not press for the role but was approached by the higher-ups and had no choice but to accept.
“I'm a member of the federation, working as the technical director,” Eguavoen said. “When a situation like this comes, you can say no. It's a task I have to perform. It's a duty that falls under my responsibility. And the fact that the hierarchy of the federation feels I can salvage the situation—why not?
“But one thing should be clear to the public: I didn't ask for this, I didn't lobby for this, I didn't apply for this; it's God's favour. It's something I think I owe to football. Football gave me fame, name, and I think I should give back to football and, of course, the federation, my employers.
“When an employer calls you to do something, there's no way you can say no, but like I earlier said, it's not like I pressed for this; it just happened. In the circumstances we are in now, I have been called upon to do this. I don't have a choice; I just have to. All we need is commitment from everybody to work towards the same goal and objective.
The Super Eagles players called up have been slowly trooping into camp. Eguaveon will be in dugouts for the match against Benin Republic on September 7th and Rwanda on the 10th. It remains to be seen if he will keep the job beyond the international break.
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