Nigeria Football Federation has reportedly appointed Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu as assistants to Augustine Eguavoen ahead of the crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles are set to face Gernot Rohr's Benin Republic in five days, marking the start of their 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign, with a second match against Rwanda just three days later.
Per reports from Nigerian Journalist, Tobi Adepoju, Ogunmodede and Ilechukwu, known for their close relationship on and off the pitch, will now bring their expertise to the national team’s bench as they aim to secure vital victories in these pivotal fixtures.
This appointment follows the NFF's unsuccessful attempt to hire former VfL Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia, whose potential contract fell through due to complications with German tax laws. In response, the NFF swiftly assigned Eguavoen, the Technical Director, to lead the team in the upcoming matches.
Eguavoen is no stranger to the Super Eagles, having first managed the team in 2005 and led them to a third-place finish at the 2006 AFCON.
He returned as interim coach in December 2021, guiding Nigeria to a promising group stage performance at the 2021 AFCON, though they were ultimately eliminated in the Round of 16.
Eguavoen also oversaw the team during their unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a disappointing playoff against Ghana.
With Ogunmodede and Ilechukwu's recent successes in the Nigeria Premier Football League, their involvement is expected to bolster the team's chances of securing positive results in the upcoming qualifiers.
