Super Eagles still lack quality in critical areas, says Eguavoen

Super Eagles Interim Manager, Austin Eguavoen, watched helplessly as minnows, Rwanda, ran rings around his team and eventually came from one goal down to beat Nigeria 1-2 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo, on Monday.

It was a rude awakening that many followers of the senior national team did not envisage as they thought that the Eagles were way past their worst days in African football.

Since Nigeria lost 1-2 to the Benin Republic in a 2026 World Cup qualifier that has put the country’s chances of making the global fiesta in jeopardy, recent performances by the team under Eguavoen had lulled Super Eagles’ followers into believing that the worst was over until Monday happened.

Most of the fans inside the Akwa Ibom Stadium, in Uyo, blamed Eguavoen for the tepid performances, accusing the oft-recalled coach of lacking the technical ability to lead a team as big as the Super Eagles. But Eguavoen had something to say about that.

Speaking after the game in Uyo, Eguavoen, who had earlier blamed Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in an earlier game on heavy downpour, said that Nigeria lost because some of the players lacked the quality to be at that level of the game.

Eguavoen said: “Goals win games, we all know that. They are scoring goals in their club sides; they are scoring goals in training, but when it comes to competitive games proper, they don’t score goals. I keep asking the same questions.

“But you know there are some players who can make a difference; who can put the ball into space for them to go to goal. But we are still looking for that player who has that flair and creativity. A good playmaker who can put the ball into space for them.”

Apart from the lack of a creative midfielder, many Super Eagles’