Eguavoen Bans NFF President Pinnick, Other Guests From Super Eagles’ Dressing Room At HT Ahead of Tunisia Game

Eguavoen Bans NFF President Pinnick, Other Guests From Super Eagles’ Dressing Room At HT Ahead of Tunisia Game

Nomso Obiajuru
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:54 PM
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  • Eguavoen says NFF president Amaju Pinnick or any other guest will no longer be allowed into the dressing room to talk to Super Eagles stars at halftime
  • The 56-year-old was however quick to note that motivation is good for the players and is part of the team’s culture
  • Nigeria face Tunisia in the Round of 16 at AFCON and Eguavoen will be looking to continue his good run at the tournament

Super Eagles interim boss Augustine Eguavoen has said that the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick or any other guests will no longer be allowed to speak to the players during half-time breaks, Owngoalnigeria and Daily Post report.

However, Eguavoen claimed that motivation is good for the players and getting pep talks from the NFF president is part of the culture in the team.

Eguavoen Bans NFF President Pinnick, Other Guests From Super Eagles’ Dressing Room Ahead of Tunisia Game
Eguavoen says NFF President Pinnick, Other Guests won't be allowed to Super Eagles’ Dressing room at halftime ahead of Tunisia game. Photo by Daniel Beloumou Olomo / AFP
Source: Getty Images

But the 56-year-old coach has now disclosed that no one will be allowed to see the team at halftime.

Speaking ahead of Super Eagles round of 16 tie against Tunisia, Eguavoen said, “We talked about timing and I am still talking about it. It’s our culture – motivation is good.
“Guests can have short discussions with the team at the restaurant and not inside the dressing room.
“Against Egypt was the only time when the NFF president and the Air Peace president came to see the team and it was five minutes.
“In the second and third games, no one came to see the team. I don’t think this will happen on Sunday.”

Eguavoen wins AFCON 2021’s group stage best manager award

Sports Brief earlier reported that Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen has been named the best manager of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 group stage, CAF has disclosed.

This comes after Eguavoen led Nigeria to 3 wins out of 3, scoring six goals and conceding just once in the process.

Nigeria were the only nation to qualify to the knockout stage with a 100% record with Eguavoen at the helms of affairs.

In doing so, the 56-year-old, who won the AFCON 1994 edition as a player, equalled his own record set in 2006 as the only coach to win all three games in the group stage at AFCON.

Remarkably, Eguavoen got the Super Eagles job on an interim basis just a few weeks to the start of the AFCON in Cameroon.

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Nomso Obiajuru
Team Lead- Football
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