NFF Chief Augustine Eguavoen Slams Super Eagles Stars After Boycotting Training
- NFF technical director Augustine Eguavoen has hit out at Super Eagles players after their striker over unpaid wages
- Super Eagles stars refused to train in Morocco on Tuesday to protest against the Nigeria Football Federation
- The players and the federation resolved the issue on Wednesday evening in time to train ahead of facing Gabon
NFF technical director Augustine Eguavoen has admitted that he is unimpressed with the Super Eagles players after their strike, even though he remains confident in their ability to beat Gabon.
Super Eagles stars boycotted training on Tuesday after refusing to leave their hotel in a show of protest against the Nigeria Football Federation.
Source: Twitter
According to BBC, the players protested several years of unpaid bonuses, forcing the NFF and the National Sports Commission to step into immediate action.
The players received the backing of Nigerians against the NFF, whose reputation has taken a hit in recent times over allegations of mismanagement of funds.
However, some sections of the fans expressed dissatisfaction towards the players for the timing of their protest ahead of a significantly important match.
The Super Eagles stars returned to training on Wednesday at Institut Royal de Formation Des Cadres in Salé, the first session with a full house and the last session before the game.
Eguavoen slams Super Eagles players
NFF’s technical director has addressed the Super Eagles stars after they returned to training after their protest on Tuesday over unpaid allowances.
Eguavoen admits that he knows that the players want to go to that World Cup, which is the dream of every professional footballer, and that the timing of their strike was wrong.
“These boys that I know, that I have worked with, want to go to the FIFA World Cup. The aspiration of every professional footballer is to play at the World Cup and enhance their market value,” he told The NFF.
“The timing of the strike was wrong. They might have had their reasons, but the timing was not the best.”
Source: Getty Images
The former Super Eagles coach is confident that the incident will not affect the players and they will rise up to play both games with full dedication.
“Having said that, I have faith in them to rise up to the occasion and do the business on Thursday, and afterwards, on Sunday,” he added.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, who was reportedly at the forefront of negotiations with the players’ representative, also expressed confidence in the team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We believe in the players and their ability to make Nigeria proud, not only on Thursday, but throughout these playoffs. We have a team capable of earning a World Cup ticket,” Gusau said.
Ekong confirmed resolution with NFF
Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed that the team had reached a resolution with the Nigeria Football Federation.
Troost-Ekong, in a statement through his official X account, confirmed that the outstanding bonuses have been cleared and the team will return to training.
Source: Legit.ng
