'Nobody contacted me' - Amuneke breaks silence on vacant Super Eagles job handed to Eguavoen

Emmanuel Amuneke has set the records straight regarding the Super Eagles job handed to Augustine Eguavoen on an interim basis following the dismissal of Gernot Rohr earlier this month.

Almost all Super Eagles fans were rooting for the former Barcelona winger to take over the national team managerial reins, but the Nigeria Football Federation decided to promote from within and saddled their Technical Director Eguaoven with the responsibility of leading the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Amuneke has thanked Nigerians for believing in him and at the same time he is urging fans to support his former teammate Eguavoen for the period he is in charge.

"It is very difficult to see people believe in you, see people believe in your ability, and I'm grateful to them for believing in me.

"I'm grateful for hoping that I'll be there but today I'm not there. Whoever is there we have to support him and we hope that one day I'll have the opportunity to be there and I will do the best I can.

"I have always said it and I keep on saying it that football is not just about coaching the national team. Football has gone beyond assembling players."

The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner added : "The important thing is whenever I'm given the opportunity I pray to have the wisdom, to have the capacity to be in a position to resolve the doubts that the players will be having.

"In the tournament that will be taking place in Cameroon every team participating have important players and what we single out is is about their tactical approach in times of having or not having the ball, how are they able to manage the game to their own advantage, how are they able to neutralize the opponents not to be able to play.

"I am very grateful to Nigerians for believing in me that I can turn things around.

"Whoever is there we have to support him and I pray and I wish Eguavoen the very best of luck in this tournament."