THE Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Austin Eguavoen has debunked reports claiming he is set to take over from Eric Chelle if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Reports this week claimed that the former Super Eagles captain and head coach was on standby, along with Ladan Bosso, to replace Chelle and take charge of the team for the Africa Cup of Nations in December.
“I feel very hurt by these baseless rumours because I really have no idea where they are coming from,” Eguavoen told the NFF media department.
“I have a very good working relationship with coach Eric Chelle, and I have absolutely no interest in taking over the squad. I am praying for him to succeed.
“This was how the same speculators created schism and disaffection between myself and Gernot Rohr and José Peseiro, when these gentlemen coached the Super Eagles, at different periods. It is uncalled for.
“We all need to work together to see the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup and win the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations championship in Morocco.”
Eguavoen, who was a part of the golden generation of the Super Eagles that qualified Nigeria’s first World Cup and won the 1994 AFCON title, did coach the team in an interim capacity recently.
The 60-year-old former defender led the Super Eagles to the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon (held in early 2022), where they reached the round of 16, and oversaw the World Cup qualifying play-off loss to Ghana few weeks later.
Eguavoen had replaced Rohr, who had been sacked few weeks before the AFCON.
The Super Eagles are in a precarious situation in the 2026 World Cup race, needing to win their two remaining games and hoping that South Africa and Benin Republic slip up.