What Eguavoen told Super Eagles players after shock AFCON2021 exit

Nigeria Football Federation, the NFF, has made public what former interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen told the players following that shock exit from the AFCON2021.

Nigeria started on the best possible note, winning all their first three matches in the competition, including an outstanding display and victory over seven-time champions Egypt in the tournament's opening game.

However, just when Nigerians began to believe that this would be their year to lift the AFCON again after nine years, Nigeria's Super Eagles were booted out of the competition at the round of 16.

Tunisia defeated the Super Eagles, who had Alex Iwobi sent out in the second half for dangerous play, 1-0 to send Nigeria back home as they came, empty-handed despite the Carthage Eagles being depleted by a COVID-19 outbreak before the game.

Interim boss, who has since stepped down and resumed his position as NFF's Technical Director, spoke to the players in his final team talk as the coach thereafter and urged them to put behind the disappointment in Cameroon behind them as quickly as possible and move on.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt about it," Eguavoen told the players before they left Cameroon for Nigeria.

"But human being proposes and God disposes. I just want to show appreciation to you guys and the backroom staff. What we have been hearing about you guys before now turned out to be wrong.

I will say congratulations for your performance but we were striving for something but couldn't get it."

"You will hear positive and negative things, it's normal in life. Nigerians love the game, don't forget that and that's what brings smiles to their faces. A lot was expected and we couldn't meet that.

"But continue to believe in yourself because you still have a lot of jobs to do for yourselves and the nation. The World Cup qualifier is close by and the quicker we take this off our minds, the better for everybody."

The former Nigerian defender and two-time Super Eagles boss also thanked the players for their professionalism, commitment, love and passion throughout his short stay as the coach.

Super Eagles were the only team to win all their matches in the group stages at the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.