Every word said by Eguavoen on training, Ighalo, Pep Guardiola, pressure to win AFCON & more

The Super Eagles players and officials arrived in Garoua, venue of their Group D matches of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, on Wednesday night, 2305 hours.

The contingent was flown into Garoua aboard an Air Peace jet and the team of 25 players and officials are staying at the Hotel Ribadou.

The players, under the tutelage of Augustine Eguavoen, got down to business on Thursday with their first training session on Cameroonian soil ahead of their opening game against Egypt.

Interim Nigeria boss Eguavoen had a chat with the Super Eagles Media Officer Babafemi Raji immediately after the workout.

The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning right-back spoke about the training session, how the players responded to training, pressure to win the country's fourth AFCON, his favourite coach Pep Guardiola, Odion Ighalo and the two players still being expected to join the squad.

Below you can read every word Eguavoen said:

Coach, you are all smiles today. First training since we arrived Garoua last night for the AFCON.

"First training about an hour fifteen minutes, we couldn't do everything that we wanted to because of time factor.

"However we are very impressed, the field also is very good, the environment is good, the weather is good and the boys responded very well and we are happy".

What do you say about the response of the players to training?

"Very good. The way I operate is interactive session, no man knows it all. I have my own philosophy, I have my own way of doing things but what I'll do is I try to make you understand why I want you to do it that way and we've been preaching that from day one and the boys quite understand me now and they have never showed any sign of grievance.

"They have been happy and have been responding very well. I spoke to a couple of them in the aircraft yesterday coming here because there's no time to do that in Abuja.

"On arrival, we went to bed about 2am so this morning I spoke to few. This evening I'm still going to speak to the remaining players before we have a collective session.

"So far I think they are very pleased and the attitude towards the training sessions have been awesome, real professionalism that they are demonstrating."

When we arrived Garoua last night everybody at the airport saying you will win this AFCON, how did you feel? Did that further spur you or put Augustine Eguavoen under a little bit of pressure?

"Pressure yes obviously because even though it's Mourinho, even if it is Conte, even if it is Pep Guardiola, you cannot say you are not under pressure.

"It's like City probably one of the best teams in the world right now playing the best brand of football. Guardiola is one coach that I adore.

"I like other coaches as well but his approach is very different and he's not been able to win the Champions League with Manchester City so you cannot say he's not under pressure, he wants to win it.

"People are saying that they expect Nigeria to win the AFCON, that puts me under some pressure but I will take it and we'll take it game after game.

"And then it is not going to be easy because every other team that has come here has come to prove a point.

"The first game is very crucial to any team that will give you a lot of encouragement going into the tournament proper so I'd say a little bit of pressure but I am more relaxed now than two weeks or a week ago".

Finally questions are being asked, have you spoken with Ighalo or we have moved on without him?

"Yes. We spoke, we exchanged text messages and from his response he's doing everything possible to come and I thought of replacing him, I gave a deadline.

"I tried to bring in either the boy from Nasarawa United, Silas Nwankwo. He's a good player no doubt because he is a striker and also Akinkunmi Amoo but he's not a striker but again he can play off strikers.

 
"If it wasn't for the rule that says it has to be on medical grounds otherwise you cannot replace somebody maybe we would have just told Odion we don't want you to go through that.

"Psychologically we know you're with us in spirit but there is nothing we can do but to replace you but on medical ground he's healthy so we don't pray bad for anybody."

I know we expect Tyronne and Jamilu Collins to join us shortly.

"Yes hopefully tomorrow because Tyronne is playing tonight and he'll be here tomorrow. Jamilu also will be here tomorrow evening."