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I did not beg for the job — Eguaveon reveals why he accepted Super Eagles coaching role

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1 week ago

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Super Eagles interim coach Austin Eguavoen told reporters that he did not lobby to get the job and only accepted it due to duty and a desire to give back to the sport.

The NFF announced that the 59-year-old will oversee the Super Eagles for the coming AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda after their negotiations with German coach Bruno Labbadia fell through.

Eguavoen has been the national team’s technical director since 2020, and he will assume the head coach role for this international break. The Super Eagles legend has coached the national team in three separate stints, the latest being in 2021, when he coached the team at the AFCON following the abrupt sacking of Gernot Rohr.

Speaking on NFF TV, per OJB, he explained that he did not press for the role but was approached by the higher-ups and had no choice but to accept.

“I’m a member of the federation, working as the technical director,” Eguavoen said. “When a situation like this comes, you can say no. It’s a task I have to perform. It’s a duty that falls under my responsibility. And the fact that the hierarchy of the federation feels I can salvage the situation—why not?

“But one thing should be clear to the public: I didn’t ask for this, I didn’t lobby for this, I didn’t apply for this; it’s God’s favour. It’s something I think I owe to football. Football gave me fame, name, and I think I should give back to football and, of course, the federation, my employers.

“When an employer calls you to do something, there’s no way you can say no, but like I earlier said, it’s not like I pressed for this; it just happened. In the circumstances we are in now, I have been called upon to do this. I don’t have a choice; I just have to. All we need is commitment from everybody to work towards the same goal and objective.

The Super Eagles players called up have been slowly trooping into camp. Eguaveon will be in dugouts for the match against Benin Republic on September 7th and Rwanda on the 10th. It remains to be seen if he will keep the job beyond the international break.

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Ronaldo hits 1 billion followers on social media

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2 days ago

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September 13, 2024 9:33 am

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Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballer, is celebrating 1 billion followers across all his social media platforms.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, the 39-year-old Al-Nassr forward thanked his supporters for believing in him through “all the highs and the lows”.

Ronaldo also reflected on his journey from a young boy in Madeira to becoming “one of the greatest players of all time”.

“We have made history — 1 BILLION followers! This is more than just a number,” he wrote.

“From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I’ve always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.

“You’ve been with me every step of the way. This journey is our journey, and together, we’ve shown that there are no limits to what we can achieve.

“Thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life. The best is yet to come, and we’ll keep pushing, winning, and making history together.”

With this new feat, Ronaldo is the most-followed person on social media — including Instagram (638 million), X (113 million), Facebook (170+ million), and YouTube (60+ million).

On August 21, Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel. The footballer also set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the most YouTube subscribers gained in 24 hours.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player has won five Ballon d’Or awards, three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by any European player.

The Portuguese international has also scored 895 senior career goals and is the leading all-time goal-scorer in the world.

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I’m still in charge, Eguavoen denies stepping down as Eagles coach

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4 days ago

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September 11, 2024 8:14 am

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Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen, has denied stepping down as the interim coach of the Super Eagles after the two 2025 AFCON qualifiers against the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Eguavoen was appointed by the NFF to take charge of the two games following the inability of the federation to secure the services of German coach, Bruno Labbadia, over what they call stringent German tax laws.

“In the event, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, September 7) and Rwanda (Kigali, September 10),” the statement announcing his appointment had partly read.

The 59-year-old led Nigeria to a convincing 3-0 win over the Benin Republic in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last Saturday before being held to a goaless draw in the second game of the series by Rwanda on Tuesday.

After Tuesday’s goaless draw in Kigali, Eguavoen was said to have stepped down as interim coach but the gaffer has denied the reports ahead of next month’s AFCON qualifiers double header against Libya.

“It’s quite unfortunate that people just trigger something that is not correct. And the situation we are in now, we don’t need negative stories,” Eguavoen said on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in a media chat.

“I only talked about sitting down with the hierarchy of the federation after these two games and we will see how to go about prosecuting the next games.

“But when I saw that story I was worried. Whatever people are reading out there aren’t correct. I’m still very much in charge. I’m the Technical Director of the NFF, saddled with the responsibility of taking the Super Eagles at this moment,” he said.

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Ex-boyfriend who set Uganda’s Cheptegei on fire dies from burns

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4 days ago

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September 10, 2024 3:54 pm

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Dickson Ndiema, the man accused of fatally burning Rebecca Cheptegei, the Ugandan athlete, is dead.

According to local authorities, Ndiema, an ex-boyfriend of Cheptegei, died on Monday from burns sustained during the attack on his former partner.

The ex-boyfriend was accused of dousing Cheptegei in petrol and setting her ablaze while she was returning to her house from church in western Trans Nzoia County, Nairobi, on September 1.

The 33-year-old athlete suffered burns on 80 percent of her body and was being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret City, where she died on September 5.

Ndiema also suffered burns from the attack and was also admitted to the hospital for treatment. His injuries were initially considered less critical.

Reports filed by the local chief had said the two ex-lovers had been fighting over a piece of land.

Cheptegei, who lived in Kenya, represented Uganda at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished 44th in the women’s marathon event.

She is the third elite sportswoman to be killed in Kenya in the last three years.

In 2021, Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death at her home in Iten. The husband of the 25-year-old was also named the suspect in the murder.

In 2022, Damaris Mutua, another Kenyan-born athlete, was found dead in a house in Iten, and her then-boyfriend was also identified as a suspect.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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