Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Idah Peterside has shed light on Nigeria's contrasting styles under former coaches José Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen.
Peseiro, who took charge of Nigeria in 2022, vacated his role in March 2024 after his contract expired. Under the Portuguese tactician, the Super Eagles reached the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where they narrowly lost to hosts Ivory Coast. However, his tenure was often criticized for not fully utilizing the team’s attacking potential, a sentiment echoed by Peterside.
“When we played South Africa, I just said, ‘sack this coach',” Peterside recalled.
“The South African coach came on air, saying he couldn’t believe the Nigerian coach was telling his players not to go forward. With this kind of players—Osimhen, Iwobi, Lookman—you can't cage them. You have to give them expression.”
Eguavoen’s instant impact on Super Eagles
After Peseiro’s exit, Finidi George was appointed as interim coach but resigned following a poor start to Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. With no permanent coach in place, Eguavoen, who previously managed the Super Eagles, was asked to step in temporarily.
Eguavoen’s impact was immediate. Under his guidance, Nigeria secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Benin Republic, their best offensive display in nearly a year. A hard-fought 0-0 draw against Rwanda followed, where only the heroics of Rwanda’s goalkeeper prevented Nigeria from taking all three points.
“We had expression in Uyo (against Benin). We scored three goals, and even in Kigali, their goalkeeper saved them. They carried him off at the end, which shows we came out to attack,” Peterside said on Channels TV. “When this team starts building and playing with confidence, we will be unstoppable.”
With the Super Eagles poised for crucial AFCON qualifiers in October, the NFF must decide whether to retain Eguavoen or seek out a foreign coach. Peterside’s endorsement of Eguavoen adds weight to the argument for maintaining continuity within the team.
