Former Nigerian international and pastor, Taribo West has claimed Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen lacks grace in major tournaments.
Taribo, who is the founder of the Shelter in The Storm Miracle Ministry, disclosed this during a recent interview on Brila FM’s ‘No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze.
He admitted that Eguavoen possesses techniques but lacks grace, which is preventing him from achieving success with the Super Eagles squad.’
“Anytime Eguavoen leads the team, he brings a certain touch, taking the team back to those glorious days.
“In major tournaments, where you expect them to cross the line, something always happens. What Eguavoen is lacking is only grace.”
West also acknowledged that Eguavoen’s tactical approach often brings out the best in the players, but struggles to get results.
“The team will play well, but the results won’t favour them,” said West.
He added, “I don’t see why we go for foreign coaches when we can invest more in our local coaches.”
Eguavoen, who also serves as the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, was handed the reins of the senior men’s national team on an interim basis.
This is the 59-year-old’s fourth stint in charge of the team, having previously managed the dugout from 2005 to 2007, in 2010, and again in 2022.
In his first stint, Eguavoen led the team to third place at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, and despite winning all three group games at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the team crashed out of the tournament in the round of 16 following a narrow defeat to Tunisia.
He narrowly failed to help the Super Eagles qualify for the 2022 World Cup after crashing out on goal aggregate to Ghana. In his current spell, the team started their 2025 AFCON qualifiers on a high note, claiming four points from a possible six.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
