Augustine Eguavoen has stepped down from his position as the interim coach of the Super Eagles after their disastrous AFCON exit.
The Super Eagles on Sunday, were eliminated in the Round of 16 after losing 1-0 to COVID-19 stricken Tunisia in Cameroon.
It would be recalled that the Super Eagles won all their group stage matches and qualify top of their group while Tunisia only managed it into the Round of 16 as Best losers.
Eguavoen said, “What happens next is that I’m the interim coach and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation.
“I will go back to my position and allow the NFF to make a decision on the way forward.”
This decision was in compliance with the arrangement made after the sacking of former coach Gernot Rohr.
When Rohr was sacked, the Nigerian Football Federation approved the appointment of Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro as Super Eagles new head coach.
To fill the vacuum, Eguavoen, ex-Super Eagles international was however appointed as interim coach for the national team while Peseiro was due to takeover after AFCON.
Based on the arrangement, Eguavoen will lead the team at AFCON, while Peseiro will join the team as an observer.
Eguavoen ended the group stage campaign as best coach of the group stage after winning Egypt 1-0, Sudan 3-1 and Guinea-Bissau 2-0.
If the Super Eagles had lifted the coveted AFCON Trophy, Eguavoen place would have been sealed as the Head Coach on a permanent basis.
Amaju Pinnick, the NFF president, while speaking to reporters during the group stage said “We know that Eguavoen can do the job expertly, but we also know that he will be more useful controlling the technical department.”
“If Eguavoen won the Cup of Nations, we might have a rethink. In that case, the foreign coach would become the technical director.”
Attention will now turn to the World Cup play-offs against Ghana fixed for March, less than two months away.
