The Interim Coach of the Super Eagles has revealed the secret behind the impressive performance of the Nigerian national football team against Egypt on Tuesday night, attributing it to the desire by the team to win the game at all cost, no matter what it would have taken.
Speaking after the recovery training of the team at the stade Omnisport Roumde Adjia in Garoua on Tuesday, the soft spoken coach disclosed that the result couldn’t have gone any other way owing to the seriousness by which the team approached the game.
“Well we did it through dedication and communication. In the camp we have respect for one another, respect for the opponent and we approached the game with all seriousness. Like it’s a cup final”, Eguavoen stated.
Speaking further on the near perfect performance on the night, the former Super Eagles captain affirmed that all he did was to make the players feel relaxed going into the game and ensuring that they played to instructions.
“It’s still the same personnel. What we did was to call the boys together and they all decided the formation they want to play. The one they are comfortable with. We wanted to be flexible and they decided on the one they are used to in the last two years so I took it and worked on it”.
“I just wanted them to feel at home. I told them to see me as their father, brother and friend. Even my back room staffs, I see them as my colleagues. We encourage communication and mutual respect for one another. We ask them to feel very free but they must not overstep their boundaries and that did the magic”, the coach reaffirmed.
When asked to set a target for the team, the 1994 AFCON winner remained adamant that the team will continue to take every game as it comes.
“That’s a very difficult one to answer. Like I said earlier, we will approach every game like a cup final. At the end, we will see”, he concluded.
Nigeria bossed Egypt in the group D AFCON opener played on Tuesday, with the match ending 1-0 in favour of the Super Eagies.