Former Super Eagles and Enyimba International goalkeeper, Idah Peterside, has shared his thoughts about Nigeria’s stand-in coach, arguing he’s better than Jose Peseiro, Soccernet.ng reports.
Jose Peseiro exited his role as the head coach of the Super Eagles back in March after his contract with the NFF expired, while Eguavoen was appointed a few weeks after contract talks with Bruno Labbadia fell through.
Following Nigeria’s performance during the September international break, Peterside believes the short-term result Eguavoen has shown with the talented squad is worth more than anything Peseiro did during his time with the three-time Africa Cup of Nations winners.
“The team showed more attacking intent and fluidity under Eguavoen. We scored three goals against Benin and kept a clean sheet. In Kigali, the goalkeeper was their hero – that shows we dominated and attacked. Under Peseiro, the South African coach even said he was surprised by Nigeria’s defensive strategy, especially with the quality of players like Iwobi, Osimhen, and Lookman. You can’t cage such players,” Peterside told Channels TV in quotes revealed by Brila.
“We have the best set of players in Africa, and Austin has given them the freedom to express themselves. The performances in Uyo and Kigali are evidence of that. When this team continues to build confidence like this, they will be absolutely unstoppable,” the former Super Eagle concluded.
Eguavoen will continue with the Super Eagles on an interim basis as they look to qualify for the AFCON 2025 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournaments respectively.
