Aigbovo: Watching Eguavoen’s team play horrifying after past experiences

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, David Aigbovo, has said that it would be scary to watch Augustine Eguavoen lead the team’s coaching crew once again after he caused the nation heartbreak twice in 2021.

On two occasions in 2021, Eguavoen failed with the Super Eagles, first against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, in Garoua, Cameroon, where the team was eliminated in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations, the first in history of Nigeria’s participation in AFCON.

Eguavoen was also the Super Eagles’ head coach when Nigeria failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing the ticket at home to the Black Stars of Ghana.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), last week, re-appointed Eguavoen to lead the Super Eagles in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which begins this week in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking with The Guardian, yesterday, Aigbovo said that handing over the Super Eagles again to Eguavoen is a big risk taken by the NFF.
“I can’t really understand the reason why the NFF is giving Eguavoen this task of leading the Super Eagles once again after what the entire nation passed through in his hands barely two years ago,” Aigbovo said.

“I must confess that it will be scary to watch Eguavoen’s Eagles once again. I expected the NFF to give other Nigerians the job since Eguavoen failed to deliver on two occasions in 2021. He is not the only Nigerian coach, and I expected the NFF to look the direction of other coaches, particularly those who have been successful with some clubs in the country.”

Aigbovo, who was the goalkeeper when the IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan won the maiden CAF Cup trophy in 1992, also queried the decision to stick with the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, in Uyo as venue of the AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic.

“I didn’t expect the NFF to take our matches to Uyo again after what we passed through in the hands of Lesotho and South Africa earlier this year at the same venue. We have the Remo Stadium in Ikenne, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City and the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba. I just pray we don’t regret these decisions of allowing Eguavoen to lead the Super Eagles again, and also taking our matches to Uyo.”

The Guardian recalls that the Super Eagles were forced to home draws by visiting Lesotho and South Africa in Uyo earlier this year, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. That result has put Nigeria in a tight corner, and facing the risk of a second consecutive failure to qualify for the FIFA showpiece to be co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.