Four points, three goals, two clean sheets, one win and one draw have seen Augustine Eguavoen guide Nigeria to the top of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group following a 0-0 draw against Rwanda in Kigali on Tuesday.
It is a far cry from the gloom of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, where they have only managed a measly reaping of three points from four games, with no wins.
The numbers once again show that interim coach Augustine 'Austin' Eguavoen still has the technical chops to at least steady what looked to be a flailing ship. And not for the first time.
And after a period of reporting saying he was done with the role after the two agreed-upon games, he went on to say that he was 'still in charge' as the team looks towards facing Libya.
The coaching carousel continues to spin... or does it?
Just before the team left Kigali, Eguavoen was asked about plans for the next game, a World Cup qualifier against Libya. He suggested that his time as an interim coach was done, as he only had a two-game brief.
"I have been given a mandate to handle two games," he said. "I will want to say I am very pleased with the boys and thanks to the NFF leadership and all the boys supported me in terms of discipline and working hard.
"It ends today, which is the two games mandate. I can't really talk about Libya because I haven't been told but I can talk a little bit.
"In case we have another coach, we can talk about it. I want to be closer to the team as it should be and I can give inside information that we need to overcome Libya."
Hours later, however, he did a complete about turn in a reaction to reports that he would not be continuing in the role: "It is quite unfortunate that people just triggered something that is not correct. The situation we are in now, we don't need negative stories.
"I only talked about how I am going to sit down with the hierarchy of the federation after these two games and then we will see what we do about prosecuting the next games.
"When I saw that story I was kind of worried and concerned. Whatever people are reading out there is not correct, I am still very much in charge. I am the Technical Director of the NFF, saddled with the responsibility of taking the Super Eagles at this moment and that is where we are."
It is unclear if his bosses had anything to do with the reversal, but the swiftness of it, gives the impression that the federation are not in any hurry to continue their search for a foreign coach. At least, not just yet.
The ongoing curse of missed chances
At this point, the plague of missed opportunities not taken in front of goal is looking like what Nigerians typically refer to as "village people," a euphemism for bad juju.
At the Nations Cup, Jose Peseiro's team created opportunities but failed to find blowout finishes. Under Finidi George's four games, two of those as interim coach, they again created chances but failed to put them away.
Against Benin, they did at least find the net three times, but it really should have been more. And in Kigali, the avalanche of missed chances meant it was unarguably a case of two points dropped rather than one gained.
The team had nine shots on goal. Even with under 50 percent accuracy, that would have been enough for four goals.
Defender Bruno Onyemaechi opened the miss fest after just three minutes, miscuing his shot after a great pass by Ademola Lookman . Two minutes later, Wilfred Ndidi shot straight at goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari.
Tone set.
Lookman did get the ball in the net, but it was scratched off by Moroccan referee Karim Sabry . Victor Boniface had his turn, then Onyemaechi again failed to capitalize as Boniface's shot rocked the upright and bounced back into play.
The defender, who was getting surprisingly easy looks, then missed for a third time when he headed wide from Ola Aina 's cross.
Substitute Moses Simon saw his shot blocked by an imperious Ntwari. Lookman also came close, only to see his volley from Aina's cross punched out by Ntwari.
Substitutes Raphael Onyedika and Victor Osimhen had the final two chances in stoppage time, but just could not beat Ntwari.
Eguavoen was left feeling frustrated, but credited the opposition defending: "Defensively, they were tight. They put bodies on the line and you could see, they blocked balls on the goal line.
"The goalkeeper for me was the man of the match from their side and they were lucky that some of those balls were going direct to him. If they were at a bit of an angle, it would have been a different story.
"It is something we can improve on. If we are more clinical in front of goal, we should be beating teams and scoring more than three goals in every game and we will work on that."
Boniface struggles to carry club form to country
Speaking of missed opportunities, Victor Boniface is really having a hard time establishing himself.
Installed as the starting forward in Osimhen's absence, the Bayer Leverkusen forward has failed to recreate his Bundesliga and European form on the international scene.
And it is not for want of trying. He has put himself about, got into great positions, especially in the last four games, but the finish just continues to elude him.
None closer than against Rwanda when he turned inside a defender and unleashed a blinder that crashed back off the crossbar.
While Boniface has not exactly endured the sort of stinging rebuke that players before him have suffered, patience is a virtue that neither the fans nor officials possess in any quantity. Especially not with the glut of forwards available to select from.
These games, with Osimhen injured for the two World Cup qualifiers, and not fully match fit for the next two, were Boniface's opportunity to stake his claim on the shirt. He failed to.
The timing of his substitution in Kigali suggests that once Osimhen gets his sea legs under him in at Galatasaray, there will be no dispute who will be starting upfront. At that point, a fit Awoniyi might even jump ahead of Boniface.
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