Nigeria head coach Augustine Eguavoen says he is not looking at personal glory as he leads the West African giants to another Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, www.aclsports.com reports.
Eguavoen and his team captain Ahmed Musa faced the press in Garoua, Cameroon ahead of Tuesday’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations group stage game against Egypt.
The former defender who coached Nigeria to a third place finish at the 2006 AFCON was asked by ACLSports Chief Football Writer, Fisayo Dairo if he is in any way motivated by the prospect of becoming the only man alive to have won the tournament as a player and coach.
Cerezo as he is fondly called says it is all about the team, for him.
“It’s a joyful thing for any coach to win a tournament and in this situation, if we win it, glory be to God but we will work hard to make sure we win it.
“But like I said earlier on, it is going to be game by game. It is not by the individual, it is about the team, it is about the country,” says Eguavoen.
Eguavoen was a key member of Nigeria’s Golden Era of 1994 which won the AFCON in Tunisia. With the only two persons to have achieved the envious feat passed to the great beyond, the former Enyimba coach says he is only aiming to work for his country and have a legacy.
“I’m not looking at personal glory to say I’m gonna be the coach alive to have won the Nations Cup as a player and as a coach, No.
“I’m looking at what I can do to my country and live a legacy. It’s not by individual, it is a collective thing,” he concluded.
Nigeria will open their AFCON account on Tuesday with a crunchy tie against record winners Egypt at the Stade Omnisports Roumdé Adjia in Garoua starting from 5pm.
Fisayo Dairo reporting from Garoua
