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Super Eagles coaching job: NFF’s delayed decision worry stakeholders

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Some former Nigeria internationals have given their verdict regarding Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen’s uncertain future with the national team.

There were recent reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is still mulling the idea of employing a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.

The NFF had appointed Eguavoen to take charge of the Super Eagles on interim capacity in September, this year.

Eguavoen guided the team through the recently concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, qualifiers.

Under his guidance, the Super Eagles secured qualification from Group D with three wins, two draws and one defeat from six matches.

But the 59-year-old’s future is, however, uncertain with the NFF reportedly still planning to hire a foreign coach for the three-time African champions ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in March, 2025.

As a result, former Nigerian players like Sunday Oliseh, Samson Siasia and Mutiu Adepoju, in their recent reactions, gave their verdicts on Eguavoen and the Super Eagles managerial position.

Oliseh declared his support for Eguavoen to continue as the coach of the Super Eagles.

The former midfielder described his former international teammate as a ‘smart and honest guy.’

“Austin Eguavoen is a smart guy. He’s not stupid. And I also want to say that he has my full support. Because he’s somebody I respect a lot,” Oliseh said.

“He’s somebody I struggled with, bringing glory to our fatherland. He is an honest and decent guy.”

On his part, Siasia urged Eguavoen to step down from the role as interim coach of the Super Eagles.

According to him, Eguavoen can’t be in charge of the team and at the same time act in his capacity as the Technical Director of the NFF.

He also urged the NFF not to hire a foreign coach for the team.

“We don’t want any foreign coach here because they’re not coming to do anything,” Siasia said.

“As for Austin Eguavoen’s future with the Super Eagles, I will suggest that we wait a while to see how the team will be.

“Eguavoen has a job already as the technical director. He should resign as Super Eagles manager and concentrate on his job,” he added.

Similarly, Adepoju called on the NFF to keep Eguavoen in charge of the Super Eagles.

“I would rate him very well. Number one, we’ve qualified for the AFCON, which is one of the objectives,” Adepoju said.

“They should keep encouraging him. I believe he’s getting things done, I will rate him high, let’s just keep supporting him.”

Speaking with Ekwutosblog on Monday, assistant coach of Yaba FC, Ahmed Omale, urged the NFF to make a ‘quick decision’ regarding Eguavoen and the Super Eagles ahead of next year’s World Cup qualifier.

“Honestly, the NFF should make a quick decision regarding Eguavoen and the Super Eagles.

“How long do they want Eguavoen to keep acting as interim coach of Nigeria’s national team?” Omale questioned.

“The man has done well by qualifying the team for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

“The next task is to qualify Nigeria for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the sooner the issue of this Super Eagles coaching job is sorted permanently, the better.

“I think their next World Cup qualifier is in three months’ time. So there is no more time.

“If the NFF wants to continue with Eguavoen, then they should just make him a permanent coach so that he can fully concentrate on his job because he is still the Technical Director of the NFF.

“For me, I am not against a foreign coach or a local coach for the Super Eagles. As long as the coach can deliver in his job, starting with securing the World Cup ticket, I am fine.

“But the NFF should make a decision as a matter of urgency.”

“I wish the team all the best and hope they secure the World Cup ticket after missing out on the last edition in Qatar,” he further stated.

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EPL: Fulham must move on from defeat to Manchester City — Iwobi

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Alex Iwobi says Fulham must stay positive despite their 5-4 defeat to Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

Marco Silva’s side put up a spirited display in the encounter, and were unlucky not to get at least one point.

Iwobi started the fight back by scoring the second goal for Fulham early in the second half.

The versatile midfielder’s compatriot, Samuel Chukwueze then rose from the bench to score two more goals for the Cottagers.

Manchester City, however, held on to go home with maximum points.

Iwobi stated that they deserved more from the game.

“I feel disappointed because we didn’t get anything out of the fighting spirit that we showed, but I think we have to take the positivity from the game,” Iwobi told the club’s official website.

Fulham will be away to Crystal Palace in their next Premier League game on Sunday.

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EPL: Guardiola names team that impresses him everyday

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Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has named the Premier League club that has impressed him so much this season.

The Spaniard said that Enzo Maresca’s side have really impressed him with the improvement they make everyday.

Speaking after Manchester City beat Fulham 5-4 in the Premier League on Tuesday night, Guardiola pointed out that a team must remain consistent to win the title.

Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points behind Arsenal with the victory over Fulham, but the Gunners could maintain their five points lead with a win over Brentford on Wednesday night.

“Chelsea impresses me more and more every day with Enzo [Maresca], but it’s long,” he told reporters after the win.

“Premier League is so long, many things will happen. We won six Premier Leagues, four or five when we in December, January or February we were behind.

“The team who wins the Premier League is the team who grows during the months and this is what we try to do. No injuries, it’s so long.

“But at the same time, if we push, we will be better and push ourselves and control the situations better, the emotions and we will see what happens.”

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Outrage As ‘Biological Male’ Wins World’s Strongest Woman Event in Texas (Photos)

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The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman final has sparked outrage after an alleged transgender athlete won gold.

American Jammie Booker, who is accused of being a biological male, beat Great Britain’s Andrea Thompson to victory at the event in Arlington, Texas.

According to Mail Online, Thompson walked off the podium, appearing to say ‘this is bulls***,’ while Booker celebrated. The Brit has since been crowned the ‘true World’s Strongest Woman’ by her coach and some of her peers.

Rebecca Roberts, a three-time winner of World’s Strongest Woman, has sensationally claimed that no one – not even the organizers – knew about Booker’s background.

Details on the American are not clear, but the publication sighted a YouTube video – uploaded to what appears to be Booker’s YouTube channel in September 2017, with Booker saying: ‘Everyone is dying to tell their own story and I am obviously no exception to that.

‘I’m 21-year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.’

On Monday night, Roberts posted a picture on Instagram that read ‘Protect Women’s Sports.’ She wrote alongside the picture: ‘I hold no hate toward transgender people. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the freedom to live their truth.

But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports. Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category.

This isn’t about identity. It isn’t about politics. It’s about the undeniable physical differences that exist in strength-based sports… differences that don’t disappear, and that matter more here than almost anywhere else. Women’s categories were created for a reason, and if we lose that, we lose the foundation of our sport.

‘What happened this weekend wasn’t transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organisers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack.

‘My message is simple. Trans people belong in sport, but women’s divisions must remain biologically born female-only.

‘I love this sport. I have given my life to it. And I won’t ignore something that could quietly change it forever. Congratulations to @andreathompson_strongwoman… the true World’s Strongest Woman 2025’

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