Former Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen has been appointed interim coach of the Super Falcons ahead of Nigeria’s 2028 Olympic Games qualifying clash with Comoros in October.
The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, describing it as a temporary arrangement while the search for a permanent head coach continues.
Eguavoen takes over after Justin Madugu and his technical crew were relieved of their duties on August 17, following Nigeria’s disappointing run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons entered the WAFCON as defending champions but suffered a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon. Their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Cup were later ended by a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the qualifying play-off.
That result ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
With the Olympic qualifiers approaching, the NFF has handed Eguavoen the immediate task of steadying the team and navigating the opening stage of the qualification campaign.
Eguavoen, popularly known as “Cerezo,” will work alongside a technical team that includes Nasarawa Amazons coach Christopher Danjuma, former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa and ex-Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf.
Eguavoen brings significant experience at senior international level, having previously managed the Super Eagles and guided Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Danjuma also has experience within Nigeria’s women’s football structure, including leading the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. Yusuf, meanwhile, won 68 caps for Nigeria and represented the country at four WAFCON tournaments, three Women’s World Cups and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Super Falcons will face Comoros on October 9 and 13, with both legs scheduled to take place at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.
Nigeria received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the qualifying competition, while Comoros advanced after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate.
The Falcons need to survive a series of two-legged knockout rounds to secure one of Africa’s two available places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. If Nigeria overcome Comoros, they will face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco in the next round.
For Eguavoen, the immediate challenge is clear: stabilise the Super Falcons, get past Comoros and keep Nigeria’s Olympic qualification hopes alive while the NFF searches for a permanent coach.
