Former Nigeria international defender Emeka Ezeugo says Austine Eguavoen should be made to quit his role as the technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) if he wants to still be the head coach of the senior national team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Eguavoen was given a two games mandate to handle the team in the AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively, and after a 3-0 and a 0-0 draw he confirmed the expiration of his mandate with the team.

However a few hours later he backtracked on his statement in a rather bizarre manner claiming he was quoted out of context, insisting that he is still the Super Eagles coach and also the technical director of the NFF.

Ezeugo who was his teammate in the Super Eagles from 1991 to 1994 says it’s about time the NFF ask the coach to decide on the job he wants to keep , because he can’t continue to fall back to the technical director role when he pleases.

” Is it not funny that Eguavoen who at the AFCON in 2022, got knocked out in the round of 16 but yet stayed in his role as technical director. Now he is the interim coach again and also the technical director so if he fails as the coach , he returns to his role as director. How does that sound?, Ezeugo said.

” NFF need to come clean and say to him which role do you prefer? It’s not like he has a lifetime contract as technical director or the forever interim Super Eagles coach whenever there is a vacuum. I am disappointed in his last statement contradicting his earlier statement all within a space of two hours. He should pick one role and run with it “.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Stanley Nwabali drew the ire of his players and also the technical crew due to his time wasting antics in the 0-0 draw against Rwanda in the AFCON qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nwabali went down twice in the closing stages of the game in Kigali on Wednesday as the Super Eagles rounded up their first set of games with a 3-0 win and a 0-0 draw making it four points out of a possible six.

His antics didn’t go down well with the players who were furious especially the second time when he went down. It led to questions aimed at coach of the team Austine Eguavoen at the post match and he confirmed he will have a word with him over it.

Eguavoen admitted that it’s something that he will speak with the 28 year old about for him not to repeat it again in subsequent games. At his club side in South Africa Chippa United he was cautioned six times for time wasting.

“I don’t encourage such, it’s something we have to talk about and we all know he’s one of the best goalkeepers in Africa right now. Some officials can get irritated as well and then start to add more minutes”, the coach said at the post match presser.

“It’s not a game plan. I told you before, we have come here to get three points so delaying such balls is not the best.

“It’s an in-house talk, we will discuss; going forward such things will not happen.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George caused a stir when he revealed in an interview with foremost Nigerian radio station Nigerian Info that he hasn’t received an apology from Victor Osimhen over his verbal rant against him despite reaching out to him.

Osimhen took to Instagram to call out the coach over a report alleging that the coach questioned his commitment to the team after he missed the team’s world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic with a knock.

It was reported that the coach told a seven man committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the 25 year old could have at least played in one of the games, if he was so committed to the team.

Finidi has however denied making such remarks and even said he reached out to Osimhen after the video to clear the air that he didn’t say what was reported, but didn’t get a response from the newly signed Galatasaray forward.

“I sent him a message that it was not the best way, just someone telling you that coach said that and you’re taking about me like I said it in an interview,” Finidi told Nigeria Info FM.

“From that point I didn’t hear from him, I moved on and I wish everybody well, only God will judge”.

Reacting to our story on the incident, Osimhen’s international teammate said the NFF should take the blame for the forward’s decision not to apologize over what was a complete disrespectful act not just to the coach, but the entire country as a whole.

” NFF didn’t call Osimhen after the video I gathered. So who will call him to order? They defended him over the coach and only reacted when stories came out that he has been banned from the team. It tells you how weak the institution is and how much the policy of scared cow is high in the team” , he said in a message to a member of our editorial team via Instagram.

” When Leon Balogun did an interview on unpaid wages. We all saw how they instantly released a statement. So why not in this case?. People should leave Osimhen alone and blame the right setup after all it was one of them who allegedly spoke with him after the meeting with Finidi”.

Following the conclusion of the games in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, world football governing body FIFA is expected to release the latest rankings for international teams.

Nigeria were in action picking up a 3-0 win over Benin Republic before drawing 0-0 away to Rwanda. They picked four points out of a possible six in the process. A return that is way better than their tally after the world cup qualifiers.

In the 2026 world cup qualifiers three months ago, they were beaten 1-2 by Benin Republic after drawing 0-0 at home with South Africa. The run cost Finidi George his role as head coach and also affected their rankings.

By the time the next Rankings will be made public, they would have dropped out of the top five in Africa and it will be happening for the first time in seven years. Below is how the teams will be ranked.

1. Morocco

2. Senegal

3. Egypt

4. CIV

5. Tunisia

6. Nigeria

7. Algeria

8. Cameroon

9. Mali

10. DR Congo

Italian Serie A side Atalanta are not happy with the crew of the senior national team of Nigeria on the usage of star forward Ademola Lookman in both of their games in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman scored a brace for Nigeria to hand them a 3-0 win over Benin Republic, a game which he lasted the entire duration and also players until the final three minutes of their 0-0 draw away to Rwanda.

The fact that he has played both games hasn’t gone down well with his team , who are unhappy that he played that long in both games despite nursing a shoulder injury, which almost ruled him out of both games.

He played both games with a protective cast on his shoulder as he is not fully healed from a small pain around that part of his body, which made him miss their last game before resuming in camp for the Super Eagles games.

Their unhappiness is that there was a high likelihood of the 26 year old aggravating the injury by playing him longer in the game. A situation which according to reports in Italy really angered the technical and medical crew of the Italian side.

The former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria John Obi Mikel has hinted that a former midfielder of English Premier League side Chelsea asked him about taking over as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have been without a substantive coach since the exit of Finidi George as coach with talks breaking down with Bruno Labbadia who was named as the new coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Austine Eguavoen was put in temporary charge of the team leading them in the AFCON qualifiers, where the team picked four out of a possible six points by beating Benin Republic 3-0 and drawing 0-0 away to Rwanda in Kigali.

His mandate was to lead the team for two games and following the conclusion of the games, the role is expected to be made vacant soon, with Eguavoen confirming that his fourth stint has come to a temporary end shortly after yesterday’s game.

Mikel speaking on his podcast Obione said Gustavo Poyet who left his role as coach of Greece in March following the expiration of his two year contract asked him about the offer of taking over as Super Eagles Coach after contacts with the NFF.

He said he advised him to accept the role, but should be aware that he will likely get the much needed support from the federation, although it will be a good career move as he will get the chance to work with very good players.

Like we reported after the breakdown in talks with Labbadia, the ex Uruguay international was among a shortlist of four which includes Aitor Karanka and Fabio Cannavaro form which the German was picked as coach.

Just like Mikel, Poyet made his name playing for Chelsea from 1997 to 2001 before moving to Tottenham Hotspur where he spent three years. He made the switch to a coach in 2006 when he became a player and assistant manager at Swindon Town alongside ex-Chelsea teammate, Dennis Wise.

The role of assistant he also played at Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur before becoming head coach.

He has since then managed teams like Brighton and Hove Albion, Sunderland, AEK Athens, Real Betis, Shanghai Shenhua, Bordeaux with his only role as head coming with Greece as earlier mentioned.

Former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria John Obi Mikel has backed Austine Eguavoen to continue as the substantive coach of the Nigerian team following the expiration of his two games mandate as interim coach, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Eguavoen was handed the role of handling the Super Eagles in the AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively, games which the team picked up four points from a possible six following a 3-0 win over Benin and a 0-0 draw away to Rwanda.

The role was handed to him following breakdown in talks with German coach Bruno Labbadia who was announced as the coach of the team by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). A disagreement over payment of his taxes opened the door for Eguavoen to take over as interim coach in what was his fourth spell as coach.

Mikel who had his international breakthrough playing under Eguavoen in 2003 at U17 says he saw similarities with the Real Madrid coach and Eguavoen, when he worked under the Italian at Chelsea for two seasons.

He made this known in the latest edition of his podcast Obione, where he talked about the senior national team of Nigeria, and The need for the coach who gave him his senior international cap in 2006 to remain as the substantive coach of the team.

Belgium side Club Brugge have been rocked by a transfer request handed by Nigeria international midfielder Raphael Onyedika in his bid to force a move to Turkish side Galatasaray, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Galatasaray signed Onyedika’s international teammate Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli last week, and now what to strengthen the midfield of their team with the 23 year old before the close of the window in Turkey.

Already they have agreed personal terms with Onyedika while he was away on international duty with Nigeria, but an agreement with Club Brugge is far from reached with both parties yet to agree on the exact valuation of his transfer fee.

Onyedika however is desperate to join the Turkish side and have handed in a request to the club after their rejection of the first bid from the Turkish side as they are holding on for a fee in the region of €30m.

Per reports Galatasaray are willing to pay half that amount but with high wages for the player, almost twice his current pay in Belgium. It’s why the player who has been keen on an exit is pushing for an agreement between both parties.

Daniel Martins

The decision by Austine Eguavoen to play two players from the start in the Super Eagles 0-0 draw against Rwanda yesterday in Kigali didn’t sit properly with certain players in the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria drew the second game in the AFCON qualifiers, a few days after thrashing Benin Republic 3-0 in Uyo in their opening game with a brace from Ademola Lookman and a solitary strike from Victor Osimhen.

The interim coach decided to make just one change to the starting lineup that won the first game with Alex Iwobi dropping out of the team for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. His decision not to drop two players left some players disgruntled.

” We (Super Eagles )have a competitive squad and with all due respect every player deserves to be given a chance especially if the one picked ahead of you didn’t play well”, a member of the backroom staff said.

” Four stickers were called up for the game in Victor Boniface, Victor Osimhen, Taiwo Awoniyi and Kelechi Iheanacho. When Boniface didn’t make the most of his chance in the first game and started again yesterday I don’t think it’s fair on the duo of Iheanacho and Awoniyi.

” Some players were not in support of the decision to start Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze. This team should be more about if you don’t take your chances let someone else do it. Sadly it wasn’t the case in the game against Rwanda”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Austine Eguavoen has defended his decision to play Victor Osimhen as a substitute for the Super Eagles in their AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Eguavoen who handled both games in interim capacity introduced Osimhen as a substitute in both games with the Napoli forward scoring the second goal in the 3-0 win over Benin Republic, but fired blanks yesterday in the 0-0 draw against Rwanda.

It led to questions on the reason why Osimhen played as a substitute, and the lack of sufficient game time given to Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who many expected to start of introduced earlier against Rwanda after playing no role in the win on Saturday.

Alex Iwobi was also an unused substitute yesterday, the same as Kelechi Iheanacho one of the senior players in the team but didn’t get a minute in both games. Eguavoen provided answers to the questions at the post match presser.

On Osimhen: ” You know Osimhen is our brother, he is our son. We cannot throw the bath water with the baby. and we all know what he is going through at Napoli and he just moved to Galatassary and haven’t played active football for a while and it’s something we try to manage his fitness. Against Benin Republic he played the last 25 minutes and today we had a word with him. He cannot play him for 90 minutes else he could get injured. It has been scientifically proven.

On Iheanacho, Awoniyi : Awoniyi also look at his stats, the last game before they all came he only had few minutes. Bottomline is we have 23 to 40, 50 talented player whom we can pick with from any given time. But in a game you cannot play all of them. It is difficult and players can be unhappy and frustrated over it. It’s normal but we hope they understand that if you are not called up or you don’t get to play you have to support the team.