Sunday Oliseh backs Eguavoen to lead Super Eagles to glory despite criticism

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh has expressed his full support for his former Super Eagles teammate, Augustine Eguavoen, after the current interim coach led Nigeria to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Eguavoen, who currently serves as the NFF Technical Director, took over as interim head coach following the resignation of Finidi George earlier this year.

Since then, he has revitalized the Super Eagles, steering them to qualification with just one defeat in the qualifiers, though some critics still question his ability to lead the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Oliseh, who coached the Super Eagles from 2015 to 2016, has come to the defense of Eguavoen, stating that the challenges the team faces are not his fault.

“Austin Eguavoen is a smart guy. He is not stupid. And I also want to say that he has my full support,” Oliseh said in an interview with News Central.

“He is somebody I respect a lot. He is somebody I struggled with, bringing glory to our fatherland. He is an honest and decent guy. Furthermore, he is my compatriot, so he has my full support.”