By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Nigeria player and ex-Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has come to the defense of Augustine Eguavoen amidst mounting criticism following the team’s recent struggles.
Eguavoen, who was appointed as interim head coach after Finidi George’s sudden resignation, has faced scrutiny despite guiding the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with two games to spare.
The team currently tops their qualifying group ahead of Benin Republic, Libya, and Rwanda, although they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Rwanda, their only loss in the campaign.
Oliseh, who managed the national team from 2015 to 2016, has praised Eguavoen for stepping in and helping steer the Super Eagles through a challenging period. He emphasized that the current issues facing the team are not Eguavoen’s responsibility.
Speaking to News Central, Oliseh said, “The situation we found ourselves in, Eguavoen is not responsible at all. He is trying to salvage what has been there before he came. If you are Nigerian, the best you can do for your fatherland is to support the person in charge.”
He added, “If you like or you don’t like him, he is not representing his own family; he is representing you at home. So, give him the moral support.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
