Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen has blamed his team's goalscoring struggles on their lack of creativity in midfield, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria suffered their first loss against Rwanda with Eguavoen as coach on Monday. Recall that the Super Eagles already sealed qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-1 draw against Benin last Thursday.
So, Eguavoen gave other players a rare opportunity to start against Benin on Monday. He made seven changes to the side that started the previous game against Benin. Nonetheless, Nigeria were still the overwhelming favorites to claim the win due to their quality on paper.
The Super Eagles dominated the first half, but they just lacked the cutting edge as they failed to create clear-cut chances in the final third. Chukwueze, who started from the bench, got into the game in the second half, and he scored the vital opener for Nigeria. However, the team fell apart ten minutes later, as Rwanda scored twice in three minutes to take a 2-1 lead.
After going down, the Super Eagles failed into inspire confidence with their play, as they struggled to threaten the Rwandan backline. It eventually ended 2-1 to the Amavubi, as they claimed their first-ever win over Nigeria.
After the game, coach Eguavoen expressed disappointment at the loss. But he stated that the absence of a creative player was a major factor that contributed to their loss.
“Goals win games, we all know that. They are scoring goals in their club sides, they are scoring goals in training. But when it comes to the game, they don't score goals. I keep asking the same questions,” Eguavoen told journalists.
“But you know there are some players who can make a difference, who can put the ball into space for them to go to goal. But we are still looking for that player who has that flair and creativity. A good playmaker who can put the ball into space for them.”
The lack of a creativity in Nigeria's midfield has been an issue for years. They will be looking to improve when the World Cup Qualifiers resume next year.
Only God knows what most of those players were invited to the team to do. I couldn’t point at more than three players who can warm the bench talk less of starting a match. They are awful as players. What is Iheanacho still doing in that team?
Eguavoen is not good enough to lead the Nigerian national team. I have never been comfortable with his style and his experience. He has never been a successful coach. He is complaining of the quality of the players. Do Rwandan players have higher quality than Nigerian players? He has just one style of play and once any experienced coach reads him, that’s the end. NFF should, as a matter of urgency, higher a more experienced coach
If there is anything our coach should work upon is searching for world class goal keepers. Nwabali is good, but, still in Nigeria we have great guys far much better. Okoye, has always had problem within ground balls. We have Simon, Boniface and Lookman to run number 10 even Iheanachor. I think you just need more time to experiment on these guys.
If there is anything our coach should work upon is searching for world class goal keepers. Nwabali is good, but, still need to try home based. We have great guys far much better. Okoye, has always had problem within ground balls. We have Simon, Boniface and Lookman to run number 10 even Iheanachor. I think you just need more time to experiment on these guys.
I did not see him making attempts to give those players he is talking about. rather inviting same players over and over again.
get young lads that will play and grow into what u are looking for. look at what Spain even Brazil are doing with young players
Recall Oghenekaro Etebo into the team. You can also search through the Nigerian league. There are many creative midfielders in the league
you are as useless as the players if you can not search before the game but tell us nonsense words
The earlier NFF realises the man is taking us nowhere, the better. He has failed in the past, but he is not showing any sign of learning from those failures. he failed to qualify us for the World Cup the last time. He failed to move beyond the 2nd round of AFCON. He is just doing “trial and error.” If NFF are serious, they should pay for a quality coach. You can’t be inviting the same set of people but claim to be searching for quality. It doesn’t work that way.
THAT IS THE REASON WHY IAM BLAMING EQUAVEON FOR STILL KEEPING INVITING INCONSISTENT, IRRELEVANT, IRREGULAR, BENCH WARMER PLAYERS INTO THE SUPER EAGLE TEAM.
SOMETIMES, IT IS NOT UNTIL YOU USE PLAYER FOR TEN MATCHES BEFORE YOU KNOW THAT HE HAVE QUALITIES TO OFFER THE TEAM.
** IN TUNISIA 94 AFCON, AMUNEKE ONLY PLAY FINAL, AND THE WHOLE NIGERIA KNOW THAT HE HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER TO THE TEAM IN FUTURE MATCHES, WHICH HE EVEN BENCHED EXPERIENCE PLAYER( IKPEBA) IN THE TEAM.
** LIKEWISE ALSO, AMOKACHI DIDN’T SCORE A SINGLE GOAL IN TUNISIA ’94 AFCON, BUT NIGERIANS ARE 100% SATISFIED WITH HIS QUALITY OF PLAY HE ALWAYS OFFERED TO THE TEAM ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, WHICH MAKE SOME FANS LIKE HIM MORE THAN YEKINI.
** MORE ALSO, PLAYERS LIKE BABANGIDA, FINIDI, UDEZE, OBODO, KANU, UTAKA DIDN’T USE TO SCORE GOALS MOST TIMES, BUT OFFER QUALITIES ON THE FIELD OF PLAY WHILE PLAYING.
#### We need new players that can challenge IWOBI, BONIFACE, NDIDI, AJAYI, SADIQ, MUSA, IF possible send them out of the super eagle. Just like Nwabali sent out IZOHO of the team.
IN THE OLDEN DAYS, NEW PLAYERS ALWAYS GRAB THEIR CHANCES WHENEVER THE COACH GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND RELEVANT FOR FUTURE GAMES DESPITE ARRAY OF BEST PLAYERS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
** FOR EXAMPLE;
1. Amuneke grab his chances in 1994
2. OKOCHA, OLISEH grab their chance
in 1993
3. AGHAHOWA….in AFCON 2000
4. UDEZE … in qualifier against
Zambia in year 2000.
5. ENYEAMA… in 2002 world cup
OTHER PLAYERS are: OSAZE, UTAKA, YOBO, MARTINS, I.K UCHE, AYILA, ABBEY GEORGE,MUSA, IKEME, TROOST-EKONG, CHUKWUEZE, NWABALI.
LET TRY MORE NEW PLAYERS THAT ARE READY TO DIE ON THE PITCH AND FORGET ABOUT EXPERIENCE, EGO, SENIORITY IN SELECTING PLAYER.
MAJA, ORBAN, AKINWUMI, DESSERS, SEBASTIAN-OSIGWE, EBUEHI AKPOM should be given chance once again.
*** NFF SHOULD EMPLOY GOOD STANDARD FOREIGN COACH(that know African football & players) FOR HIM TO BE INVITING BEST PLAYERS AT THE MOMENT WITHOUT SENTIMENT. AND WE SHOULD STOP CELEBRATING FLUKE WINNING!!!!!!!!
If there is anything our coach should work upon is searching for world class goal keepers. Nwabali is good, but, still need to try home based. We have great guys far much better. Okoye, has always had problem within ground balls. We have Simon, Boniface and Lookman to run number 10 even Iheanachor. I think you just need more time to experiment on these guys.
We could have won Rwanda in there place luck prevented us. This last game was just another bad luck. Boniface is great but people need to feed him good balls.He takes great position, then they give wrong passes, how can he score?
So sad our people don’t read matches, only think about goals. I wish Coach Eguavoen could simply shop for world class keepers and convert Simon, Lookman, or Boniface or Iheanachor to 10. He would see wonders.
The coach should call a spade a spade. Let’s rebuild the team. An 8 year plan to have a team to win AFCON hattrick is a target that must be set for coach and players. Nigeria deserves nothing less.
Nigerians will buy into the vision and so also anyone who wears the Jersey.
Our coach is a fantastic coach, and we have world class players, but, Coach Eguavoen will need more time to convert one of our great materials like Boniface, Chidera- , Simon, Lookman to number 10 so that our hitmen Osimen, Boniface will function at best. Please, Coach Eguavoen let them play Nigerian teams and experiment this. NFF will never have the money for European tour and if you don’t get great keepers these boys will still fall your hands!