The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eguavoen

  • Oshiomhole appoints Eguavoen Insurance coach

    Oshiomhole appoints Eguavoen Insurance coach

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has approved the appointment of Austin Eguavoen as the Administrator of Insurance Football Club of Benin.

    Also appointed are Amodu Shaibu, Technical Adviser, Abel Ehigie, Edo FA chairman, Charles Ihiemekpen, Secretary while the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere is the chairman of the interim Board.

    Oshimhole, in a special broadcast, said Insurance FA must be return to where it belongs not the lower league.

    He mandated the interim Board to oversee the transition of Bendel Insurance FC for a period of three months preparatory to the appointment of a Board.

    He said their responsibilities should include House keeping ant to ascertain the financial position of the club.

    He said: They are to verify debts and salaries owed by the club, and prepare the club for the new football season.

    Their mandate are also to disband the team and replace with the Amodu tutored Academy players, and any other responsibilities as may be desired.

    However, the already screened players by Loveday Omoruyi are also to go.

    Football stakeholders in Benin hailed Eguavoen’s appointment saying,” this is the right step Comrade Oshiomhole has taken since five years ago about Insurance.”

  • Eguavoen gives condition to coach Insurance

    Eguavoen gives condition to coach Insurance

    The former Super Eagles of Nigeria handler, Austine Eguavoen has expressed willingness to coach Insurance Football Club of Benin if the necessary logistics that would make the team have a successful campaign in the elite division, is made available.

    Eguavoen who lamented the present situation of the once darling team of the then Bendel State, said he wants to come back home to restore the lost Glory of the club. He said he has deliberately turned down offers from various premiership clubs, including the three years contract extension by his present club in order to return home.

    He said his desire was to return Insurance FC to the premier league and also contribute his quota to sports development in Edo.

    He urged the authority concern to do all that is humanly possible to in ensuring that the supporters of the club are once again made happy with premier league actions in Benin.

    “I have been away from Benin for so long, it is high time I returned to back to the City. I have my family here, at the same time, a son of the soil, so I will be happy to return and contribute my quota to the club that has made so many of us.

    “Am not at all happy with what is happening to the club that was once the best club in the country. It will really be a great opportunity for me to coach the club.

    “All that is needed for me to come back is for the government, who are the owners of the club to put all necessary logistics in place for the teams success.

  • Eguavoen parleys with Globacom league clubs

    Eguavoen parleys with Globacom league clubs

    Former National Team coach Augustine Eguavoen, who now oversees Nigerian National Football League outfit COD United, claims he has received some offers from some topflight teams that he is mulling over.

    Eguavoen guided The White Lions to a 3 – 1 victory over Remo Stars last weekend to narrowly escape relegation from Nigeria’s second – tier.

    “It is a possibility that I may remain with COD United. Talks have been going on with the management for the past one month. Money is not everything for me. Where I will have my peace that’s where I want to be.

    “I would want to stay where I am relaxed and do my job, not people dictating for you. That is why despite all those clubs talking to me in the Premiership, I have to sit down and weigh the options before taking a decision,” Austin Eguavoen said to allnigeriasoccer.com.

    Amongst others, Augustine Eguavoen has handled Sliema Wanderers, Sharks and Enyimba in the past.

  • A big test for Eagles — Eguavoen

    A big test for Eagles — Eguavoen

    Former Super Eagles Coach, Austin Eguavoen, has said that playing against big teams in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil would be a good test for the Super Eagles.

    Eguavoen, the Technical Adviser of City of David FC of Lagos, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Akure.

    “I know that playing against big teams in the world such as Spain and Uruguay at the Confederations Cup will serve as tests for the Super Eagles. I don’t have any fear because the team will always be at their best against big teams. I will always rate them high as African champions,” he said on telephone.

    The former Olympic U-23 Dream Team handler said that it would be wrong to assess the Super Eagles quality with the FIFA Confederations Cup which begins today. He said the Super Eagles would be playing against the best teams and players in the world which would help to prepare them for the 2014 World Cup.

    “I don’t want football lovers in the country to use the Confederations Cup to judge the quality of the team as African champions. The good thing is that we are going to play strong teams from South America, Europe and Asia which gives the players a pre-knowledge of what to expect at the World,” Eguavoen said.

    Super Eagles will start its Confederations Cup campaign against Tahiti on Monday.

  • Eguavoen will not apply for national team job

    Eguavoen will not apply for national team job

    Former coach of Nigeria’s national U23 team Austin Eguavoen has insisted he will not apply for any national team post, even though he is ever ready to serve his country.

    Eguavoen failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 Olympics held in London, and took up a coaching job at Nigeria Professional Football League side Enyimba FC for the second time, after he managed the side between 2008 and 2009.

    The former Super Eagles handler however resigned from the People’s Elephant, and was later employed at Sharks FC, where he did not sit on the bench for one game, and later left due to contract disagreement.

    The former Nigeria international faulted ill treatment and owing of players’ salaries as reasons for resigning at Enyimba before joining Sharks.

    Eguavoen, who is now a free agent, said he is ready to serve his fatherland in any capacity, but will not tender any formal application for any job.

    “I am really ready to serve my country in any capacity if I’m called upon,” he said on Brila FM.

    “But I will not tender an application. I’m not ready to apply,” he said.

    Eguavoen’s position at Sharks FC has been taken over by former Sunshine handler Gbenga Ogunbote.

    But the post he left vacant at the national U23 is still vacant ever since.

  • Eguavoen back to Sharks, yet to sign contract

    Eguavoen back to Sharks, yet to sign contract

    Coach Austin Eguaveon is back to lead the Sharks technical crew for the 2012/2013 NPFL season despite his contract yet to be signed.

    Speaking with the journalists on Sunday, Eguavoen who was on seat when Sharks suffered a lone goal defeat at home against Kwara Utd said he had to calm down and take the management for their words after some wrong insinuations against his person.

    Asked if he had signed the contract, Eguavoen was straight to the point: “No I haven’t. But what the management told me that my contract papers are almost completed, I have to take them for their words. I don’t want people to think otherwise about me. A lot of people are having different notions: Eguavoen is heady, Eguavoen is proud, no. When I started hearing things like that, I had to calm down and just believe them and give them the time but am back, I will take control over the team completely and put those things behind.”

    Asked how he managed during the pre-season with exit of the stars that have made it happen for Sharks in the past, he confessed it was not very easy but also noted that there is so much to be done in the new team.

    “It was very difficult. We know eighty percent of that team left for obvious reasons, the challenge I have today is some of the other players. There’s a lot we have to do. I have to try to redeem my image. We registered thirty-five players,” he said.

    On the issue where Sharks general manager was quoted saying Eguavoen has been fined one month salary for abandoning his job, the former National team gaffer said it’s a huge joke.

    He replied: “He is not serious. They’ve not told me that. He can’t be serious about that. They can’t do that. What have I done?”

     

  • Sharks FC JOB: Port Harcourt elders beg Eguavoen

    Sharks FC JOB: Port Harcourt elders beg Eguavoen

    Former U-23 National Coach, Austin Eguavoen has accepted the pleas of prominent indigenes of Rivers State to continue as Technical Adviser of Sharks FC.

    The club’s inability to meet its obligations made Eguavoen consider quitting.

    But an insider on Thursday informed SportingLife that the intervention of the Commissioners of Sports and Justice made Eguavoen reconsider his decision.

    “This was done on Tuesday with the Commissioners appealing to Austin to resume in Kaduna for Sharks’ Week 2 League Fixture against Kaduna United which was played on Thursday afternoon,” said the source.

    The Coach travelled on Wednesday from Benin where he resides en-route Abuja where he spent the night and arrived in Kaduna before the commencement of the match. Instead of sitting on the bench with his assistants, Eguavoen preferred to watch from the stands.

    “Even Eguavoen’s salaries and signing-on fees have not been paid since he was unveiled late last year in Port Harcourt. But with what we have heard that the government has promised to look into all the issues affecting the club, it shows we should be hopeful,” said SportingLife’s source.

    According to the source, Eguavoen’s signing-on fee should be in the neighbourhood of N25m.

    Meanwhile, four players made their first start in the 2012/2013 NPFL season against Kaduna United yesterday at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

    The four players included goalkeeper Uche Jonah who is making his debut appearance in top flight league.

    The bulky goal keeper is amongst the players discovered at the Governor Amaechi street soccer championship last year. Others are Mani Usman, Hilary Chukwu and Stanley Okoronkwo who all started from the bench in the 2-1 win over Warri Wolves in week one.

    First choice goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa finds solace on the bench

    Absentees in the team that was in the party against Warri Wolves are Junior Osagie and George Amakiri.

  • Sharks miss Tuesday date for Eguavoen’s contract

    Sharks miss Tuesday date for Eguavoen’s contract

    Sharks of Port Harcourt have missed the Tuesday date they promised to hand Austin Eguavoen a working contract with the side for the 2012/2013 League season.

    Futaa.com had exclusively reported on Monday that the former Super Eagles coach was promised the document after he walked out on the team one day before the NPFL was scheduled to kick-off.

    Sharks then promised to get the document ready by Monday or Tuesday, so that the former Enyimba handler could get back to work. But futaa.com checks on Tuesday, revealed that the contract has not been signed.

    Efforts to get in touch with Okey Kpalukwu, the General Manager of the team proved abortive, as his phone was switched off.

  • Eguavoen to get contract today

    Eguavoen to get contract today

    The stand-off between Austin Eguavoen and Sharks, over the non issuance of a working contract as coach of the Port Harcourt side, may be resolved on Tuesday.

    The former Super Eagles coach was in Owerri on Sunday, watching the Heartland versus Nembe City football club game, while his Sharks were playing against Warri Wolves.

    It then emerged that he had walked out of the team on Saturday, because he has not been given a contract since joining the side in November 2012.

    Now, sources in Port harcourt have told futaa.com that the papers will be drawn up for him to sign by today at the latest.

    “He has been given assurances that the papers will be ready by Monday or Tuesday (today),” the source said.

    Eguavoen was given the mandate of winning both the Federation Cup and the Premier League when he joined Sharks.

    The Edo-born coach was the subject of discussion on social platforms, Twitter and Facebook, when he was spotted in Owerri watching the game between Heartland and Nembe City football club, while the Sharks game was going on in Port Harcourt.

    futaa.com checks have revealed that Eguavoen left just before the Warri Wolves game, because he has not been officially given a contract.

    Eguavoen, futaa.com was told, had left the team for a week in the pre season, as he battled to have his appointment documented and ratified with a written document.

    He had returned after appeals, but had threatened to walk on Saturday, 9th March 2013, the day before the league kicks, if the contract matter was not sorted. And when the Rivers State government, the owners of Sharks did not get the document ready by Saturday, he left Port harcourt.

  • Okonkwo begs Eguavoen

    Okonkwo begs Eguavoen

    • To return Shark’s money Thursday
    • Vows to make Eagles’ AFCON final list

    Super Eagles returnee Chibuzor has told SportingLife exclusively that he would return the N300,000 pre-contract fee he collected from Sharks Football Club to the club tomorrow.

    The player, who has just been recalled to the Stephen Keshi-coached Super Eagles, used the medium to apologise to Shark FC Technical Adviser and former Super Eagles handler, Augustine Eguavoen for his actions which he told SportingLife was taken in his best interest.

    Eguavoen popularly called Cerezo has alleged that the bulky right back collected money from Sharks on the pretext that he will play for the Port Harcourt club in the coming season and then absconded.

    “Chibuzor has no business being in the national team. He is a bad example for a national team player. Can you imagine that Chibuzor came to Sharks collected our money, signed and absconded?” a furious Eguavoen had told an online football website.

    The player, however, confided in SportingLife that he had already called Eguavoen and made arrangements with him on how the money would be paid back to the coffers of the club latest tomorrow.

    “Firstly, I am using this medium to apologise to Coach Eguavoen for not getting in touch with him on time, it was due to communication lapses. I have also spoke with him today (Tuesday) on the matter.

    “The truth is that I collected the sum of N300,000, a kind of pre-contract fee from Sharks (Football Club) but right now I am no longer interested in joining the team. So I got in touch with Coach Eguavoen and I have promised to pay back the money on Thursday (tomorrow).

    “He (Eguavoen) has promised to send his account details to me so that I can send it through him on Thursday when the bank would be working and since I am still in Eagles camp I can’t go to the club to do so”, Okonkwo explained.

    The former Dream Team IV player while thanking Super Eagles handler Stephen Keshi for giving him a second chance in the team, has vowed to make the team’s final list to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations slated for South Africa from January 19th to February 10th, 2013.

    “I won’t mind shedding my blood if necessary to make the final squad. This is a rare opportunity and I am grabbing it with both hands. I am most grateful to Coach Keshi and his assistants for giving me a second chance in the team”, he told SportingLife yesterday.