Augustine Eguavoen Set To Return For Fifth Super Eagles Spell

Augustine Eguavoen Set To Return For Fifth Super Eagles Spell

By Admin 

As pressure mounts on the Super Eagles to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sources within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have hinted at a potential return for Augustine Eguavoen as head coach, marking what would be his fifth stint at the helm of the national team.

Current coach Eric Chelle, appointed earlier this year, could become the latest casualty if Nigeria fails to clinch a World Cup spot, with just two qualifying matches left to determine the country’s fate.

Nigeria currently sits third in Group C with 11 points, trailing group leaders Benin Republic and second-placed South Africa, both tied on 14 points. Only the top team is guaranteed automatic qualification for the expanded 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Chelle was brought in to oversee the final phase of qualification following Eguavoen’s temporary stewardship during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign. Despite securing Nigeria's place at the tournament on short notice, Eguavoen, who also serves as NFF Technical Director, stepped aside due to health concerns requiring surgery in Belgium.

The NFF then appointed Chelle in January to guide the team through the remaining six World Cup qualifiers. However, with Nigeria’s qualification hopes in jeopardy, insiders suggest that plans are already underway for a change in leadership, with Eguavoen emerging as the likely replacement.

Should the transition occur, Eguavoen’s immediate assignment would be to lead the Super Eagles in high-profile friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia scheduled for November in the United States. His focus would then shift to preparing the team for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

Augustine Eguavoen, 60, is no stranger to the Super Eagles dugout. His previous tenures include spells from 2005–2007, a brief return in 2010, and again from 2021–2022 following the dismissal of Gernot Rohr. He also temporarily returned in 2024 to ensure Nigeria’s qualification for the upcoming AFCON.

With Nigeria's World Cup hopes delicately poised and scrutiny growing, the possibility of yet another return for the former international defender suggests the NFF may once again be looking to a familiar face to steady the ship.