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Super Eagles’ interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen will get the chance to spy on one of his team’s group opponents at the impending Africa Cup of Nations, when Guinea-Bissau play Cameroon in a friendly, megasportsarena.com reports.
The match between Guinea-Bissau and the AFCON 2022 hosts is scheduled to hold just a day after Eguavoen opens the Eagles’ camp on January 2, thereby giving him the opportunity of seeing one of his group rivals upfront.
It is now left to be seen how Eguavoen and the technical department of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) react to this update, as Federation Cameroon de Football (FECAFOOT) formally confirmed the match against Guinea-Bissau will take place on the 3rd of January in Yaoundé.
It will mark the climax of preparations for the competition proper in Cameroon for the West African nation, which qualified for their third consecutive AFCON and hope to go past the group stage for the first time, after crashing out early in both the 2017 and 2019 editions.
The Djurtus are placed in Group D alongside record holders Egypt, three-time champions Nigeria, and Sudan, heading into which the Portuguese-speaking country hope to get their first win at the AFCON, after failing to win any game in their last two editions.
This development comes at a point Eguavoen admitted his defence line is not as solid as he would like it to be, with one of the key men at centre back, Watford of England stopper, William Troost-Ekong looking shaky of recent.
Troost-Ekong was involved in the mix-up with defensive partner, Leon Aderemi Balogun that led to Central African Republic scoring a late winner against the Super Eagles in October and ‘Egu’ has now admitted that the defender is currently lacking confidence.
The former Haugesund of Denmark, Bursaspor of Turkey, AA Gent of Belgium and Udinese of Italy stopper was also blamed for the goal conceded in the 1-1 home fixture against Cape Verde in the last game of the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.
His mistakes have continued with his club, as he was culpable for the two goals conceded by Watford against Leicester City and Brentford, but Eguavoen disclosed that plans are already in place to help the stopper overcome his ongoing blight.
“Our psychologist has a big role to play as does the Coaches and the entire team to help lift the confidence of Troost-Ekong.
“He’s also a very strong player and we trust we can help him come through this rough patch,” Eguavoen told Brila FM.
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