Eguavoen scouring Europe, NPFL for box-to-box midfielders in mould of ex-Real Madrid star

Nigeria's interim manager Augustine Eguavoen has revealed that he is scouring Europe and the Nigeria Professional Football League for two offensive midfielders in the mould of former Real Madrid star Mutiu Adepoju and ex-Bendel Insurance ace Thompson Oliha.

The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning fullback has been spotted watching matches in the NPFL and was recently in Europe to check out some players with a view to future invitation to the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen has claimed that the search for box-to-box midfielders for the national team was a wild-goose chase as he didn't discover any player with the qualities of the late Oliha and Adepoju.

Eguavoen's preferred formation is the old fashioned 4-4-2 and unarguably Joe Aribo was his most complete midfielder at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, with the Glasgow Rangers ace possessing offensive and defensive attributes.

Another box-to-box midfielder in the current Super Eagle squad is Oghenekaro Etebo and Watford admitted as much when they signed him from Stoke City last summer.

Speaking to Elegbete TV Sports, Eguavoen said : "That's why I went around the NPFL and abroad but the system that I like to play is to look for two offensive midfielders who can run box-to-box.

"We use to have late Oliha and Mutiu Adepoju. If I can find those two players as we speak today our formation will change.

"You plan you team around what you have, your strengths, that's how you prosecute the games.

"If I can find a player in the same caliber as late Oliha and Mutiu Adepoju our system will definitely change a little bit, but  however what we have right now we'll see how we can modify and try to see how we can prosecute these games".