The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reconstituted the technical team of the senior national men’s football team, the Super Eagles, following the team’s satisfactory performance at the just ended African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The NFF on Monday, February 7, 2022, announced the reconstitution of the technical team of the Super Eagles, confirming the retention of coach Augustine Eguavoen as Interim Technical Adviser, while former Nigeria super star winger, Emmanuel Amuneke is appointed as first assistant to Eguavoen.
Amuneke, former world cup star and former Nigeria U20 Boys’ Head Coach, boasts of a track record in the coaching scene, having led Tanzania to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
“The Nigeria Football Federation on Monday announced the reconstitution of the technical crew of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, with Augustine Eguavoen staying as Interim Technical Adviser while former Nigeria World Cup star and former U20 Boys’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke [is] drafted in as immediate assistant to Eguavoen, the NFF said in a statement.
The addition of Emmanuel Amuneke to the technical team is expected to bring much more weight to the technical membership of the Super Eagles as they prepare to battle the Black Stars of Ghana for a place in at the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals to be staged in Qatar later this year.
Like Eguavoen, Amuneke was a member of the Nigeria squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunis, scoring both goals in the finals when the Super Eagles beat Zambia 2-1 to lift the second AFCON trophy, with Eguavoen as the captain. Amuneke also played for Nigeria in the 1994 and 1996 FIFA World Cup finals, scoring twice in 1994 tournament hosted by the USA.
The NFF had appointed Portuguese international Jose Peseiro in December last year to take over from Eguavone as substantive coach of the Super Eagles after the just ended Africa Cup of Nations, but the federation have now reversed its decision.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the interest that Mr Jose Peseiro has shown in Nigeria Football during our very cordial discussions and have absolutely no doubt about his capacity. We believe that perhaps in the future, there could be an opportunity to work with him. However, in view of the positive performance of the Super Eagles at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations which has given hope to Nigerians and boosted our confidence in the present coaching crew to qualify us for the World Cup in Qatar, we have decided to accept the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee to retain the Eguavoen-led coaching crew and strengthen it with the addition of Emmanuel Amuneke.”, the NFF stated.
Following announcement by the NFF on Monday, the new techncal team list of the Super Eagle is as follows:
Augustine Eguavoen – Technical Director/Technical Adviser (interim)
Emmanuel Amuneke – Chief Coach/1st Assistant
Salisu Yusuf – 2nd Assistant/Chief Coach, CHAN
Joseph Yobo – 3rd Assistant
Aloysius Agu – Goalkeepers’ Trainer
