The statement announcing his appointment had said, in part, “In the event, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, September 7) and Rwanda (Kigali, September 10).”
On Saturday, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the 59-year-old guided Nigeria to a convincing 3-0 victory over the Benin Republic. However, on Tuesday, Rwanda held the team to a scoreless draw in the second game of the series.
Before the doubleheader of AFCON qualifiers against Libya next month, Eguavoen has refuted allegations that he had resigned as temporary coach following Tuesday’s goalless draw in Kigali.
“It’s really awful when somebody just sets off an incorrect situation. In a media conference upon arriving at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Eguavoen stated, “And the situation we are in right now, we don’t need negative stories.”
“After these two games, I only mentioned having a meeting with the federation’s hierarchy to discuss how to proceed with the prosecution of the upcoming games.
But I was concerned when I saw that tale. Nothing that people are reading online is accurate. I still have a lot of control. As the NFF’s Technical Director, I’m tasked with leading the Super Eagles at this time,” he declared.