Yakubu Aiyegbeni Sends Message to Siasia, Eguavoen Over Super Eagles Coaching Job
- Yakubu Aiyegbeni has disclosed that the Nigerian national football team does not need an indigenous coach at the moment
- The former Everton striker says sacking Eric Chelle before AFCON 2025 could disrupt the structure of the Super Eagles
- He stated that the era of having the likes of Augustine Eguavoen or Samson Siasia as the national team coach is passed
Nigerian football legend Yakubu Aiyegbeni has disclosed that the likes of Augustine Eguavoen and Samson Siasia are no longer needed in the national team.
Following the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there are calls for the return of indigenous coaches.
Current head coach Eric Chelle was appointed in January after a string of poor results from ex-international Finidi George.
Source: Getty Images
The former Enyimba of Aba was appointed coach of the Nigeria national football team in April 2024, and less than eight weeks into the deal, the tactician handed in his resignation.
NFF's technical director, Augustine Eguavoen, stepped into the position temporarily before Franco-Malian tactician Chelle was appointed.
With Nigeria missing out on the World Cup, there are suggestions for a possible change in the Super Eagles' managerial position.
Although Yakubu Aiyegbeni admitted that a foreign coach is the right man for the job, he stated that a change before the 2025 AFCON tournament might be disruptive.
Speaking on a podcast, the former Blackburn striker stated that the era of Eguavoen and Siasia is over. Aiyegbeni said in a podcast:
"Why do we always find it difficult to get a decisive coach when it matters? We say we need a foreign coach, and I agree, we still need a foreign coach.
"It’s too close to bring in another coach. I don’t think Sia Sia or Eguavoen are needed anymore. We’ve gone past that era.
"I think we should try to sit together and look for whom to bring. It’s time to move forward, not backwards."
Eric Chelle prepares for AFCON 2025
Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has shifted attention to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for December 21 to January 18, 2026.
Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation are impressed with the transformation and aggressiveness the Franco-Malian has brought to the team since he took over, per Business Day.
The NFF source mentioned that Eric Chelle has already compiled the list of players for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and has been given the mandate of reaching the final. The source said:
“The Nigeria Football Federation is not considering bringing another coach because the time is short. Eric Chelle has already compiled the list of players for the AFCON and he will be in charge unless he decides otherwise."
Source: Getty Images
Chelle drops three players
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has taken drastic measures following Nigeria's unceremonious defeat at the hands of DR Congo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off.
Chelle has begun his plans for the AFCON, and his first point of call was to drop three players: Tolu Arokodare, Olakunle Olusegun, and one other.
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Source: Legit.ng
