The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed former Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen as interim head coach of the Super Falcons ahead of their 2028 Olympic Games qualifying campaign.
Eguavoen will take charge of the senior women’s national team for their second-round, two-legged Olympic qualifying tie against Comoros in October, while the NFF continues its search for a substantive head coach.
The appointment follows the departure of Justin Madugu and his technical crew after Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which also resulted in the Super Falcons missing out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Eguavoen, popularly known as “Cerezo”, brings extensive experience in international football. He previously managed the Super Eagles and led Nigeria to a bronze-medal finish at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
However, the Super Falcons appointment marks his first managerial assignment with Nigeria’s senior women’s national team.
Eguavoen will be assisted by Christopher Danjuma, head coach of Nigeria Women’s Football League side Nasarawa Amazons. Danjuma has worked with several of Nigeria’s women’s national teams and led the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa will serve as goalkeeper trainer, while former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf will join the technical crew as an assistant coach. Yusuf won 68 international caps for Nigeria and represented the country at four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, three Women’s World Cups and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The 10-time African champions received a bye into the second round of the 2028 Olympic qualifying competition as one of Africa’s three highest-ranked teams.
Nigeria will face Comoros over two legs, with both matches scheduled to be played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, on October 9 and 13, 2026.
Comoros advanced to the second round after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate.
The Super Falcons must negotiate four rounds of two-legged knockout ties to secure one of Africa’s two available places in the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
If Nigeria defeat Comoros, they will advance to the third round, where they are scheduled to face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco between February 23 and March 6, 2027.
The appointment gives Eguavoen a short window to prepare the Falcons for a crucial Olympic qualifying campaign, with the federation yet to announce a permanent successor to Madugu.
For the Super Falcons, qualification for Los Angeles 2028 offers an opportunity to begin rebuilding after the setback of missing the 2027 Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991.
