Super Eagles: Why NFF should save face with Eguavoen

It is no secret that, prior to today’s match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Benin Republic in the AFCON qualifiers, the team seemed to be heading in a direction that led nowhere.

Of course, just because the Super Eagles managed to salvage a 3-0 win at home against Gernot Rohr’s side guarantees nothing at the moment. There are still many games to be played, many decisions to be made, and a lot of mistakes and blame that could arise when the Super Eagles next take to the pitch.

However, today’s victory offers the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) some breathing room after the embarrassment surrounding the announcement of a head coach without proper negotiations or a formal agreement between the parties involved.

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With the Super Eagles securing a 3-0 victory at home in the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, the NFF was spared a potential backlash from fans. Imagine the narrative had Gernot Rohr once again defeated Nigeria to kickstart Benin Republic’s AFCON campaign.

For context, Gernot Rohr was once the Super Eagles head coach, and arguably the most successful in recent times, compared to his successors, José Peseiro and Finidi George. The German qualified Nigeria for two successive World Cup tournaments—something his successors have so far failed to do. Rohr currently sits above Nigeria in the World Cup qualifying group after a recent 2-1 win over the Super Eagles. Another win for Rohr would have been catastrophic for the NFF, further exposing how poorly the current administration has managed the national team’s affairs.

Instead, Nigerians are celebrating the performances of Ballon d’Or nominee Ademola Lookman and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, who both found the back of the net in a 3-0 victory for the Super Eagles. However, little will likely be said of caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen’s role in the win.

Once again, local talent stepped in when needed to restore the country’s pride and give the national team its first competitive win since their AFCON final defeat to Ivory Coast.

Saying Nigerians needed a victory would be an understatement. They needed not only a win but also a distraction from the pressing realities facing the nation. Augustine Eguavoen was able to provide them with that.

Of course, this result means little in the grand scheme of things. But if the NFF knows they are unable to secure a top-tier coach ready to deliver consistent results for the Super Eagles, having Augustine Eguavoen in a permanent role to provide the team with some stability—until both the NFF and the Nigerian Sports Ministry get their act together—may not be as embarrassing as announcing Bruno Labbadia as head coach before the German even accepted the job.