Austin Eguavoen, the interim coach of the Super Eagles, has played down revenge as a motivating force ahead of Saturday's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier against Benin.
Eguavoen, who has taken charge of the team on a temporary basis, is instead focused on securing maximum points in the upcoming matches against Benin and Rwanda.
In the last international window, Nigeria suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Abidjan at the hands of the Cheetahs, who came from behind to record their first-ever win over their more illustrious neighbours.
That result, in 2026 World Cup qualifying, left the Super Eagles second from bottom in Group C and extended their winless run in the series to four matches.
Three points the mission for Super Eagles – Eguavoen
“Starting with the match against Benin Republic on Saturday, nobody is mentioning anything about revenge,” Eguavoen said.
“Our goal is three points, and then we aim for another three points in Kigali on Tuesday that will put us in good stead for qualification.”
The Super Eagles will host Benin at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium this Saturday, with kick-off set for 5pm, before travelling to Kigali to face Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10.
Nigeria, have been underwhelming since the end of the 2024 AFCON in the Ivory Coast where the team lost 2-1 to the hosts in the final, only winning one of their subsequent four fixtures.
With both Benin and Rwanda also in Nigeria's 2026 World Cup qualifying group, these games carry added significance for the Super Eagles’ broader ambitions.