In this interview on NFF TV published on YouTube, Super Eagles interim coach Austin Eguavoen, discussed his team’s chances of winning next month’s AFCON.
He also talked about the possibility of Eagles playing friendly games before the tournament, strength of their group opponents and going back to wing play.
Congratulations on your appointment as the Super Eagles Coach, how did you take the news?
It’s surprising and a shock to me but it is something I can’t say no to, I’m around and it’s something we have to do.
The shortness of the time is something a lot of people have talked about. Do you think there will be enough time to have a team that will be ready to compete?
There is a team on the ground, this team is ready to compete any time any day when called upon. And yes the time is quite short we all know that but every coach has his own leadership style, his own philosophy. And with the quality of players we have I don’t think we will struggle but the only thing is there won’t be time for any friendlies because that’s when you actually assess your team if they can actually do what the technical crew want. So if there was time to play at least two or three friendly games you can tell them how to operate in departments individually and collectively and in lines then we can say yes. But as it is we just have to do what we have to do and in training sessions we can tell them how we want them to play and guide them.
Are you categorically saying there won’t be any warm games before your first game against Egypt?
There would be but it won’t be as competitive as we want it because you don’t want to play the strongest team right now and when I say strong team I mean that can bully you and you have to be aware of injuries as well. If there was that time where you have FIFA windows you can go for it 100 per cent regardless because you know you still have time before the tournament. But the tournament starts January 9th, I’m not saying there won’t be friendly games but it would be a very casual one.
Knowing the team as technical director and also the man in charge, what do you think are the prospect, do you trust that the players have what it takes to go and win the tournament?
The team has what it takes to go all the way but we have to take it game after game.
Have you also been thinking about your opponents especially Egypt who have players from Al Ahly who featured at the FIFA Arab Cup then Sudan and Guinea-Bissau?
Yes, we have to do that because Egypt seven times winners is a team I’ve played against I have coached against them at junior level. We know what they can bring to the table, not a pushover team. Mind you every team that qualify for the AFCON is not a pushover and we are going to do everything possible to see how we can analyse them individually and collectively and map out the strategy. And that’s what we should expect them to do as well because Nigeria is a big name, big country in terms of football and other teams would also be planning. We are doing that and we will continue to that until we find solutions on how we can take care of them.
A lot of people know your philosophy looking at the the 2006 AFCON and the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Have you evolved in your coaching style and do you think you are better now?
I would say I’m better because I have watched coaches I have watched games and we all learn every day. And the thing now is your opponent and how you set up your team so different approach against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau as well, but when the time comes you would see all of that. Mind you it’s not a one-man show there are people around me so we have to sit down and talk through and come up with decisions and of course I have the final say and when the time comes we will see.
A couple of your players are injured and you have the task of selecting your final squad. How tough has this been?
It has been tough. Since I got the news (of the Super Eagles job) I don’t sleep well because of expectations but I know there are people who want us to succeed and there are those also in doubt. But we will do everything humanly possible, stick together and do all we can and make sure we put smiles in the faces of Nigerians. But having said that, AFCON is not a small tournament, it is a major tournament and Nigeria is ranked very high when it comes to football so expectations are high. I think what we have on the ground and the support of everyone I think we will do well.
A lot of critics believe the Eagles should go back to the wing style of play, are we going to see that under you?
For you to get on the field and have your formation right you must have the personnel as well. When you talk about wing play like what people are clamouring for, yes why not? That’s what has been our tradition but when you don’t have the Finidis, the Amunekes, the Elahos, the Odegbamis how do you achieve that? But we have to be flexible as well. We have Samuel Chukwueze, we have Moses Simon, going forward we can be explosive but what about defending? We are talking about wing players offensively but they have to do defensive job as well. That’s not to say we have to rule that out completely but be flexible in the style of play as well. If you adopt a 4-4-2 and then your opponent are able to counter you what do you do? You have to find other ways and it depends on who you play with, probably your opponent the way they set up that’s what you react to.
Have you been talking with your players and what are their responses and their reactions to you being in charge now?
They are quite happy about it, it’s not easy we all know that because Gernot Rohr has been here for a while and he has played that fatherly role. He is a nice man but parting ways won’t be that easy but everybody has got a job to do and your career and family to look after so they have to put that behind them as quickly as possible and move on. But no love lost, everybody is close to Rohr and we remain friends forever.
And your take on the issue of European clubs not wanting to release players for AFCON, does that bother you?
Yes of course, everyone should be bothered because there is a list out there and if you don’t release the majority how do you put a team together. I remember in 2011 just before the Olympic games London 2012, we won all the games, blowing teams up 5-1 like that and 95 per cent of the players were from Europe, players like Nosa Igiebor, Nnamdi Oduamadi. But when it was time to go to Morocco (for the U-23 AFCON) out of the players who featured during the qualifiers for the U-23 AFCON, I only got like five of them, so it was a problem. So if European clubs are now saying we can’t release it will be a problem and to put another team together at this time would be tough.
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