NFF retains Eguavoen as Super Eagles interim coach, sacks Peseiro

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reconstituted the technical crew of the national team, TopNaija reports.

Augustine Eguavoen will continue as Interim Technical Adviser while ex-Barcelona winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, was appointed as a Chief Coach and an immediate assistant to Eguavoen.

In a statement on Monday, February 7, the NFF confirmed it won’t move forward with the agreement with Jose Peseiro, who was expected to take charge of the team after the Africa Cup of Nations.

“The NFF Board has approved a recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee retaining Augustine Eguavoen as Technical Director/Technical Adviser (interim) while Emmanuel Amuneke becomes the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles. Salisu Yusuf will be the 2nd Assistant Coach/Chief Coach of the CHAN team and Joseph Yobo will be 3rd Assistant while Aloysius Agu remains the Goalkeepers’ Trainer.” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, announced.

Sanusi added, “We acknowledge and appreciate the interest that Mr Jose Peseiro has shown in Nigeria Football during our very cordial discussions and have absolutely no doubt about his capacity. We believe that perhaps in the future, there could be an opportunity to work with him. However, in view of the positive performance of the Super Eagles at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations which has given hope to Nigerians and boosted our confidence in the present coaching crew to qualify us for the World Cup in Qatar, we have decided to accept the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee to retain the Eguavoen-led coaching crew and strengthen it with the addition of Emmanuel Amuneke.”

NEW SUPER EAGLES COACHING CREW

Augustine Eguavoen – Technical Director/Technical Adviser (interim)
Emmanuel Amuneke – Chief Coach/1st Assistant
Salisu Yusuf – 2nd Assistant/Chief Coach, CHAN
Joseph Yobo – 3rd Assistant
Aloysius Agu – Goalkeepers’ Trainer

The reconstitution comes after the Super Eagles’ outing at the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon, and ahead of the potentially-explosive FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round against the Black Stars of Ghana next month.

During his varied career, Eguavoen began his career with ACB Lagos in his native Nigeria, some impressive performances gained him a move to Gent in 1986. He went on to play for K.V. Kortrijk, CD Ourense, Sacramento Scorpions, Torpedo Moscow and finished his career in Malta with Sliema Wanderers. Eguavoen was a member of the Nigeria national team squad that qualified for the country’s first-ever World Cup in 1994, and won the African Nations Cup in the same year.

Amunike, on the other hand, played 27 times for Nigeria, scoring nine goals. He was part of the team that participated at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, scoring against Bulgaria and Italy; also in that year, he helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, eventually being voted African Footballer of the Year.