Well, the consensus of Nigerians is that Austin Eguavoen is an unlucky coach and most Super Eagles fans do not either trust or like him. I do not really agree with this notion of him, but he needs the AFCON Qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda to start changing the thoughts of Nigerians towards him.
These Eguavoen discussions have been on the front burner on radio, television and even personal chats, but as usual we were off to Uyo for the game.
My travel team were Carl “The Pointman” Orakwue, Oluwafemi “Senior Man of Port Harcourt” Balogun, Victor “Ghanaman” Sampong, Kingsley Olisa, Cyril Dum Wite, Okey Onwugbonu and Clarkson Aggi. However, Okey Onwugbonu would join us in Uyo from Owerri, while Cyril would come the next day.
Ghanaman said we could go to RTC and get a Sienna that takes us all, but unfortunately, we could not. We tried to get an alternative vehicle hire and thought we had one. After negotiating with us, the driver said he was going to bring the vehicle, only to strut in with a 4-litre gallon and tell us he needed to buy some petrol because his car tank was dry and could not move. That got all of us incensed and we sent him away and then got another vehicle.
We talked through the trip to Uyo
This would be the first time I’d be travelling with Clarkson Aggi, who I had known for more than fifteen years and Kingsley Olisa too and we talked all through the trip.
First, Carl Orakwue brought up the issue of Beyond Limits and Heartland FC, then there was Emmanuel Amunike coaching the Heartland team. Somehow we linked Samson Siasia into it and his return to coaching and Kingsley Olisa asked the pertinent question regarding his ban- Did he do it or not?
We talked about how insensitive the Nigeria Football Federation was to increase registration fees for the FA Cup to N200,000 (Two hundred thousand naira), knowing that the amateur clubs do not break even and they have no government funding.
After all the serious talk, we had to talk about Abel Damina and what is happening in the Pentecostal Christian community. By this time, we were in Uyo and ready to head to our hotel, which we did.
Is Eguavoen an unlucky coach?
My thoughts on Austin Eguavoen are that I like him. I think he is calm-headed, I think he is confident, and I think that the players respect him because of his composure. While waiting for our rooms to be sorted out, we opened up this discussion.
Kingsley Olisa does not think Eguavoen is good enough for the job. He does not like Eguavoen and does not even know why. Carl Orakwue had always felt Eguavoen was not a bad coach while Fisayo, who we met at the hotel gave Eguavoen a vote of confidence, but talked about why Nigerians think he has bad luck.
Do you all remember when Nigeria played at the U17 World Cup in 2003 in Finland? Eguavoen handled that team. The team did everything to qualify and it was a toss of coin between Nigeria and Costa Rica that knocked out Nigeria. Two years later, Christian Chukwu was sacked as coach of the Super Eagles with two games to go in the World Cup qualifiers. Eguavoen replaced him and won both games including winning 5-2 in Algeria. Nigeria still did not qualify and Eguavoen was the one Nigerians saw as responsible for the failure to qualify.
At the AFCON in 2006, Eguavoen helped Nigeria win the bronze medal “for keeps” but was asked to leave on return from Egypt.
In 2010, the same Eguavoen took over from Lars Lagerback at a time when Nigerian football was in disarray. In the first AFCON Qualifying match, there was the threat of a FIFA ban hanging over Nigeria’s head. First, the news came out that Nigeria had been banned and we had been disqualified from the AFCON. Players were not sure of the game, some did not come at all, and some left. The team was in disarray and eventually, there was word from FIFA that the match would hold. Word came on Friday, the game was on Sunday. Some players had to hurriedly travel to Conakry to join the team and Nigeria lost 1-0 to Guinea. Eguavoen was blamed for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the AFCON, even though he was coach for just the first two games and by the last game against Guinea in Abuja, Nigeria just had to win, but drew 2-2.
But there will be two games that Nigerians won’t forgive Eguavoen for in a long time. One is the AFCON knockout game against Tunisia in January 2022 and the other is the World Cup Qualifying game against Ghana in Abuja a few months later. So, is Eguavoen an unlucky coach? However, I believe Nigeria will win both games against Benin and Rwanda. What the NFF plan to do after that is their business.
Why do they call me an ancestor?
These children do not have respect. None of them do. From Euphoria Sticks to Atinuke to Sam Areo, even Toxic, none of them has any respect. Add Mike the Pundit and Chris. They all have no home training.
I had just finished a session with Mathew Edafe and his Elegbete TV when we rushed off to Discovery Park to grab some food. Femi and Clarkson had Afang soup and they marvelled at the difference between that one and what we buy in Port Harcourt. Carl had Egusi soup and he was asked why he would travel from Port Harcourt to Uyo and have a soup that is regular in his town. Ghanaman and Olisa went for White soup (Afiya fiyere) while I wanted jollof rice. They asked why, and I told them I had not had a meal yet all through the day and it was already 3 pm. If I start with something heavy, I will have a crisis. Mine was the last to arrive. As I put in the fork and tasted the rice, my mouth was filled with water. It was as though the rice drowned in the pot of water while cooking it. I would not eat that nonsense. I called the waiter to take it away. She was concerned and asked me why. I told her plainly that if she ate it, she would know it was not worth it. I then ordered white soup and white rice and it was a better deal. Then we were off to the stadium to pick up our accreditation tags and then attend the pre-match presser.
These games have always been a chance to meet friends, colleagues and junior ones who only communicate via WhatsApp and emails.
I do not know the last time I saw Yinka Elebute, but I first met him in Port Harcourt in 2005, the year Dolphins FC played in the CAF Champions League. He called me Ancestor, how? Then Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications at the NFF would always crack jokes when he saw me, and most times, it was about the same thing. He gave instructions to those issuing the tags, Mighty George and Akin the Viper. He told them loudly not to issue tags to anyone bearing the name of a country. That was me. But Olajire na correct guy.
Then I was surrounded by Gen Z folk- Ezinne, Joy Euphoria Sticks Ojeabulu, Mike D Pundit, Chris, Sam Areo, Akila Matawal and many others. I told them I was not old, I just started early, but the name ancestor was now like a song to them. Pooja was ever present with his big belly staking a claim to all that he was doing, and there was the rest of the Port Harcourt contingent, Olalekan Ige, Peter Abaje, Ekpor Temple etc.
Joan Nwachukwu was there and sneaked up behind me. I congratulated her, for the first time in person on being an Abuja Landlord.
After the presser
While the presser was on, I met up with Olalekan Ige and Promise Efoge (The Super Eagles Media Officer) outside the hall and we talked a lot about the Super Eagles and coaching musical chairs.
The presser ended and I went to say hello to Eguavoen, who seemed pretty upbeat. I chatted with William Troost Ekong privately pitch side and he too was upbeat that Nigeria would win. Stanley Nwabali came my way too and first apologised for not meeting with me after the South Africa game. “Bros, you know the result was not good and we all felt very bad. But we will win this one. We are determined,” Nwabali told me.
Ogenyi Onazi
On our way out, while still in our vehicle at the Stadium car park, a convoy of three vehicles drove in, almost blocking our exit. I began to imagine who it was as heavily armed policemen jumped out of the two vehicles behind, one person rushing to open the door of the SUV in front.
As the door opened, and the fellow stepped out, it was none other than Ogenyi Onazi. Well, it was nice meeting up with him again. We exchanged pleasantries. He wanted to know if he could go in to see the players, and I was surprised. “Onazi, na you na. How can’t you enter to see the players? They are training.”
“Bros, I know. But you know some of these trainings are closed. I hope I can go in?”
“You can. It is you. Go in and see your boys.”
That was it for the day.
