The interim boss saw his side crash out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations despite their impressive performances in the group stages 

Super Eagles interim coach Austin Eguavoen has criticised the performance of Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye following Nigeria’s round of 16 exit at the 2021 AFCON.

The Super Eagles promising campaign in the competition came to a disappointing end following a 1-0 loss to Tunisia on Sunday night

Youssef Msakni’s strike from outside the box was all the Carthage Eagles needed to progress to the quarterfinal at the expense of Nigeria.

Msakni’s goal was not the only talking point of the game, though, as Nigeria also had Alex Iwobi sent off five minutes after coming on.

Initially, Ndiaye awarded the Everton man a yellow card but changed his decision following a VAR review. And speaking after the game, Eguavoen criticised the ontroversial Senegalese referee saying some of his calls were wrong.

Iwobi’s red card, I don’t think it was,” Eguavoen said at his post-match press conference

“It was the first foul, and it wasn’t intentional, but we have to look at the VAR later and see.”

However, first offence, I don’t think it was a red card. It wasn’t dangerous play.

“The boys fought, officiating wasn’t fair.”

Eguavoen was also critical of the referee’s decision to blow fouls in favour of Nigeria when he could have played an advantage.

“And then right in his face, I can see one of the most gentlemen in the team, Wilfred Ndidi, got marched and right in the face of the referee, Ndidi complained.”

“But having said that, we gain advantage to move on and breakaway, and then he recalls it and gives us fouls.”

“Normally, in the game of football, and there’s an advantageous position, you let it run,” Eguavoen added.

The 56-year-old tactician’s future is now in doubt following his side’s disappointing exit in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations 

Super Eagles interim boss Austin Eguavoen has said that he would return to his role as the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after Nigeria’s exit in the 2021 AFCON.

The Super Eagles promising start to the competition came to a disappointing end in the second round after losing 1-0 to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.

Eguavoen had received praises for the team’s performances in the group stages, which saw them blitz through with three wins- the only team to do so.

The former Gent defender was appointed as the interim coach after Gernot Rohr was sacked just a month before the tournament.

However, preparations were far from ideal for him as he had to deal with the withdrawals of four key players ahead of the tournament.

Eguavoen had received praises for the team’s performances in the group stages, which saw them blitz through with three wins- the only team to do so.

The former Gent defender was appointed as the interim coach after Gernot Rohr was sacked just a month before the tournament.

However, preparations were far from ideal for him as he had to deal with the withdrawals of four key players ahead of the tournament.

However, following the team’s exit at the hands of Tunisia on Sunday night, Eguavoen revealed he would not continue in the role as he would return to his position as the Technical Director of the NFF.

“I am here as the interim coach, I am the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), what will happen is I will go back to my job, and we let the authority decide what next to be done,” Eguavoen said.

The NFF will have to make a decision as soon as possible, though, as the Super Eagles have a huge World Cup 2022 two-legged playoff against Ghana in March.

The three-time AFCON kings were booted out of the competition following a 1-0 loss to the Carthage Eagles, but Aribo feels they could have done better 

Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo has admitted that Nigeria did not do enough and were too conservative in their 1-0 loss to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Sunday.

The Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after they lost to a short-staffed Tunisian team.

Austin Eguavoen’s men were favourites going into the tie because they were outstanding in the group stages, unlike their Tunisian counterparts, who lost two of their games.

However, the Tunisians triumphed over the Super Eagles after Msakni’s second-half goal.

It was a cagey setup from Nigeria coach Augustine Eguavoen, with the Super Eagles hardly creating any clear cut chance in the first half.

Midfielder Aribo believes that was why the Super Eagles lost, and he also affirmed that they could have taken the game to the Tunisians.

“I just think we started really slow, we allowed them to get a foothold in the game,” Aribo said after the game.

“We can’t take anything away from them, but we should have been better in the 90 minutes.”

“We just took too long to respond until the first goal- it’s the only time we started playing, and then we had the red card incident, which was a bit disappointing also.”

“We could have done things differently, but we weren’t just good enough in the 90 minutes, we gave them too much respect on the ball, but we just needed to be better and take the game to them more,” he adde

The Sparta Rotterdam shot-stopper could not keep out the fierce drive that handed the Carthage Eagles a shock win on Sunday evening

Former Nigeria international Julius Aghahowa has expressed his disappointment at Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for conceding the goal that knocked Nigeria ou of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Augustine Eguavoen’s men had performed so brilliantly in Cameroon until they met the Tunisians in the first knockout round of the tournament.

Okoye had conceded just once in three group stage games. 

But a long-range strike off the boots of forward Youssef Msakni somehow beat the 22-year-old in the Nigerian goal barely a minute into the second half.

Despite getting reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Alex Iwobi, the Super Eagles responded well to going behind but could not carve out the vital equaliser.

The defeat ended Nigeria’s dream of a fourth continental crown, leaving Aghahowa hurt and disappointed.

And the 2002 Afcon top goalscorer insists the young Nigerian goalkeeper is to blame for the loss.

“Okoye should have saved that ball because he saw the ball coming towards his direction,” Aghahowa told spoting media..

“I am really disappointed and feel he should have done better. This was a game we don’t deserve to lose at all. But it has happened, and we have to accept our fate.”

Cameroon 2021 is only the fourth time in 19 appearances that Nigeria will return from the Afcon championship without a medal.

The Eagles’ proud continental record reads three winners’ medals, four silver medals, and eight bronze medals.

. Says Nigeria’s focus already on FIFA World Cup play-off

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Sunday commended the efforts of the Super Eagles despite a 0-1 loss to Tunisia in their Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match in Garoua.

“We are proud of the efforts of the players. They gave their all and tried very hard to win even when they had numerical disadvantage. It was just not our day.

“I want to thank His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his love, support and encouragement to the team while they were in the championship. I also praise the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare for his interest and attention in the progress of the team. Losing at this stage is painful but we take solace in the great spirit with which the team approached its four matches in Cameroon, out of which it won three.

“The focus and attention will now shift to the FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Ghana in March. We want to assure Nigerians that we will prepare even harder for those two matches to get the job done.”