By Francis Ajuonuma
As the search for a competent coach to replace Augustine Eguavoen as Super Eagles head coach begins, sports philanthropist and chairman of Iganmu FC, Abayomi Egbayelo has thrown his weight behind the appointment of a local to take charge of the team.

Eguavoen was sacked last week as Super Eagles’ head coach alongside his coaching crew following Nigeria’s shock exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar made possible by the Black Stars of Ghana on March 29 in Abuja.

Egbayelo gave his backing to local coaches while donating boots, balls, bibs and other training materials to clubs within Iganmu and its environs.

According to Egbayelo, who is also the chairman of Marvel Sports and Entertainment Limited, Super Eagles’ 2022 world cup exit was a big blow to take, but we should learn a lesson from it and move on.

He believes that only the appointment of local coaches for the Super Eagles would return the team back to its’ past glory, insisting that Eguavoen is not to blame for the national team’s decline in performance in recent times.

“It’s a pile too hard to swallow but there is nothing we can do about it. We just have to keep supporting the players and the coaching staff and encourage them to give our local players the opportunity to gel with the foreign-based players.

Why Will Smith resigned from Oscars Academy

“On local coaches handling the team, I’m 200 per cent in support of giving the national team duty to a local coach because I strongly believe that the future of the Eagles is in the hands of our local coaches. I don’t think Augustine Eguavoen is to blame for the Super Eagles’ world cup exit. He met a poor team on the ground and never had enough time to work with the players and get the best out of the team,” he said.

Egbayelo, who is based in Japan and well known for his philanthropic works revealed that his decision to donate boots, bibs, balls and other training materials to clubs in Lagos is to help in the development of the game, encourage the youth to embrace sports and shun other verses.

“My main motivation running a football club is my hud; where I’m coming while growing up as a kid. We grew up in a dangerous place. We grew up without sports, only God is our helper. So, I don’t want kids to go through what I went through growing up in the Iganmu area of Lagos. It was really tough, so that is why I’m doing these to clubs in Iganmu and its environs and I hope to do more in other parts of Lagos. In a few months’ time I will be back in the country to donate over 2000 jerseys from J-League for clubs in Lagos,” he added.

One of the benefitting clubs, SIDAB FC of Surulere, owned by Solomon Adesina, appreciated Egbayelo for his support towards football development at the grassroots in Lagos State.