AFCON2025Q: Mikel Hails Eguavoen Effect on Super Eagles Performances

Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder. John Mikel Obi has praised the Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen for his ability to get the best out of present crop of senior national team players during their recent 2025 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

Mikel who played under Eguavoen at the U-17 level before graduating to the U-20 side, liked Eguavon to the veteran Real Madrid Coach, Carlo Ancelotti.

The 37-year-old then made his senior debut for the Super Eagles under Eguavoen in 2005 said in his latest podcast: “I know the interim manager now, Augustine Eguavoen, who managed me when I was a kid. U-17, he was my coach, took us to the World Cup,” he said on Obi One Podcast.

“Fantastic guy, lovely guy, a manager who gives you all the freedom in the world to express yourself, speaks to you really well.

“He reminds me so much of Carlo Ancelotti, no jokes about that, his man management is top. He speaks to players really well. He is so humble. He communicates with players really well, puts his arm around you.

“He gets his players on his side, that’s so important. You could see coming in on short notice and getting the team to play so well. You can’t teach them so much in such a short space of time.”

The former Super Eagles defender now in charge of the Super Eagles for the fourth time and following the impressive outing of the super Eagles during the two games Eguavoen was charge, calls have been rife for him to be made a substantive coach and end the ongoing search for a foreign gaffer.