Former Super Eagles player Emeka Ezeugo has expressed strong doubts about interim coach Austin Eguavoen’s ability to lead Nigeria to World Cup qualification. In a statement on his Facebook page, Ezeugo, who was part of the 1994 AFCON-winning team and the 1996 Olympics gold medal squad, criticized Eguavoen, labeling him as “failure personified” and a “backdoor giant.”
Ezeugo’s criticism stems from Eguavoen’s failure to secure Nigeria’s place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a disappointing performance against Ghana in Abuja. The former Abia Warriors coach argued that Nigeria’s football administration, under the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has been plagued by incompetence and corruption for years, leading to the country’s current football woes.
Eguavoen, who was also in charge when the Super Eagles were eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2021 AFCON (held in 2022), has recently been reappointed as interim coach following Bruno Labbadia’s decision to reject the Super Eagles coaching job. Eguavoen is now set to lead the team in their upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda on September 7 and 10, respectively.
Ezeugo’s remarks have sparked discussions within the football community about the state of Nigerian football and the challenges facing the national team as they prepare for crucial qualifiers.
