Augustine Eguavoen

Augustine Owen Eguavoen (born 19 August 1965) is a Nigerian football manager and former player who serves as manager of the Nigeria national team. Considered as one of the best Nigerian centre-backs of all time. He was known as a strong defender who excelled in the air very well, he was capable of clearing every ball with his overhead kick as his trademark.

Club career
Eguavoen began his senior playing career in Nigeria with ACB Lagos. In 1986 he moved to Europe, where he played for KAA Gent and KV Kortrijk in Belgium for a total of eight and a half years. For the second half of the 1994/95 season he was loaned to the Spanish second division club CD Ourense. After the Galicians were relegated at the end of the season, he returned to Kortrijk.

At the end of the 1995/96 season he moved to the United Soccer League to the Sacramento Scorpions until the end of the year. He spent the 1997 and 1998 seasons in Russia with Torpedo Moscow. In 1999 he moved to Malta, where he played for the Sliema Wanderers, and in the 2000/01 season as a player-coach. He ended his playing career there in 2001. 

International career
Augustine Eguavoen played for the Nigeria national football team from 1987 to 1998. In 1988 he took part in the Olympic football tournament and played in all three games. He also took part in the African Championships in 1988 and 1992. At the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, he celebrated the greatest success of his playing career by winning the tournament. With this victory, Nigeria qualified for the 1995 King Fahd Cup as continental champions. In this precursor tournament to the FIFA Confederations Cup, he scored his penalty in the penalty shootout in the game for third place against Mexico to make it 3-2 but Nigeria lost 5-4.

Eguavoen was named to Nigeria's squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States in Nigeria's first appearance at a World Cup finals. There he was used in the first two group games against Bulgaria and Argentina and in the round of 16 game against Italy.

He was again in the Nigerian squad at the 1998 World Cup in France, but was only used in the final group game against Paraguay.

Honours
As a Player
Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations: 1994 (Winner)
Africa Cup of Nations: 1988 (Runner-up)

As a Coach
Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations: 2006 (Bronze)

Enyimba International
Federation Cup 2008/09 Season (Winner)

References

Other websites


Category:1965 births
Category:Living people
Category:Nigerian footballers
Category:Association football defenders
Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1995 King Fahd Cup players
Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players
Category:Nigerian football managers
Category:Olympians for Nigeria