Eguavoen Is Technically Strong But Lacks Grace To Lead Super Eagles – Taribo
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Former Nigerian international Taribo West has praised Augustine Eguavoen’s technical abilities but criticized his lack of finesse, which he believes is holding Eguavoen back from success with the Super Eagles.
Eguavoen, who is also the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, took over as the senior men’s national team coach after a deal with German coach Bruno Labbadia fell through. This marks his fourth spell in charge, having previously led the team from 2005 to 2007, in 2010, and again in 2022.
During his first tenure, Eguavoen guided the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. In 2021, despite winning all three group stage matches at the AFCON in Cameroon, the team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Tunisia. His time in charge has often been marred by near misses, including the failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing to Ghana on away goals.
In his current stint, the Super Eagles have made a promising start to their 2025 AFCON qualifiers, securing four points from a possible six. However, Taribo believes something is missing from Eguavoen’s coaching style.
Speaking on Brila FM’s ‘No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze’, Taribo, now a pastor and founder of Shelter in The Storm Miracle Ministry, said, “Anytime Eguavoen leads the team, he brings a certain touch, taking the team back to those glorious days.
“In major tournaments, where you expect them to cross the line, something always happens. What Eguavoen is lacking is only grace.”
While West acknowledged that Eguavoen’s tactical approach often brings out the best in the players, he stressed that results haven’t consistently followed.
“The team will play well, but the results won’t favour them,” said West.
He added, “I don’t see why we go for foreign coaches when we can invest more in our local coaches.”
Eguavoen, who recently denied stepping down as the interim coach of the team after the two 2025 AFCON qualifiers against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, is expected to remain in charge for their upcoming AFCON qualifying doubleheader against Libya in October.
