In response to swirling rumors, Austin Eguavoen, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has dismissed reports suggesting he has stepped down as interim coach of qAfrica Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
Eguavoen, who was temporarily placed in charge of the Super Eagles due to complications in securing German coach Bruno Labbadia—citing German tax laws as a stumbling block—was entrusted with leading the team for two key qualifying matches.
The NFF statement confirming his appointment read, “Coach Augustine Eguavoen 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).”
Eguavoen’s tenure saw a convincing 3-0 victory over Benin Republic in Uyo, followed by a frustrating goalless draw against Rwanda in Kigali. In the aftermath of the Kigali match, reports began circulating that Eguavoen had resigned from his interim role—a claim he quickly shot down.
Speaking to the media at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Eguavoen expressed disappointment with the false narrative.
“It’s quite unfortunate that people just trigger something that is not correct. The situation we are in now doesn’t need negative stories,” he remarked.
The 59-year-old clarified that while discussions were held with the NFF about the future after the two qualifiers, he had not stepped down.
“I only talked about sitting down with the hierarchy of the federation after these two games to evaluate the way forward. But the story that I resigned is completely false. I’m still very much in charge as Technical Director, overseeing the Super Eagles’ AFCON campaign.”
As Nigeria continues its path towards qualification for the 2025 AFCON, Eguavoen remains at the helm, focused on ensuring the Super Eagles secure their place in the tournament, with the next set of qualifiers against Libya just around the corner.