Former Nigerian international, Taribo West believes that Augustine Eguavoen always fails with the Super Eagles when it matters the most because he lacks “grace.”
Taribo West argued that Eguavoen lacks a certain grace that is essential for achieving success with the Super Eagles despite possessing strong coaching techniques.
Eguavoen, who also serves as the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, took charge of the senior men’s national team after the deal with the proposed German coach, Bruno Labbadia, fell through. This marks Eguavoen’s fourth stint in leading the team.
During his previous coaching stints, Eguavoen achieved a third-place finish at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and led the team to win all three group games at the 2021 AFCON, but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Tunisia with a lone goal.
Despite his efforts, Eguavoen’s tenure has seen some near misses, such as narrowly failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and facing challenges in major tournaments.
Taribo West acknowledged Eguavoen’s tactical prowess in bringing out the best in the players but noted that consistent results have been elusive.
“Anytime Eguavoen leads the team, he brings a certain touch, taking the team back to those glorious days”, Taribo West, who is the founder of the Shelter in The Storm Miracle Ministry, said on Brila FM’s ‘No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze.
“In major tournaments, where you expect them to cross the line, something always happens. What Eguavoen is lacking is only grace.
“The team will play well, but the results won’t favour them.”
He added, “I don’t see why we go for foreign coaches when we can invest more in our local coaches.”
