The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have given by far the strongest indication that Austin Eguavoen will be confirmed to qualify the Super Eagles for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. �

Eguavoen has been the Eagles caretaker coach since the exit of former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback in July.

And now head of NFF technical department, James Peters, has disclosed the former international defender will be in charge of the team for the qualifying tournament for Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Eguavoen has done well so far and he will see us through the qualifiers for the Nations Cup,� Peters told journalists.

The coach has insisted he will not apply for the job after the NFF decided earlier in September to ask for applications from both foreign and local coaches.

This is Eguavoen�s second spell as head of the national team. In 2005, he took over from Christian Chukwu soon after Nigeria were forced to a 1-1 draw by closest rivals Angola in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Kano.

However, a late rally by Nigeria could not stop Angola from qualifying for their first World Cup in Germany.

Eguavoen will then lead the Eagles to finish third at the 2006 Nations Cup in Egypt.

He has thus far led the Eagles to beat Madagascar 2-0 in a Nations Cup qualifier in Calabar after his team fell 2-1 to South Korea in a friendly in August.

He was soon after the 2010 World Cup, where he assisted Lagerback, offered to take over the country's Olympic team after his teammate from the 1994 World Cup, Samson Siasia, was locked in negotiations with the NFF to take charge of the Eagles.

Officials regard him as matured, while his critics see him as an establishment man, who does not ant to ruffle the feathers so as stay in the good books of his employers.

This week, Nigeria sports minister, Ibrahim Bio, charged the NFF management to appoint a substantive coach immediately after next month's Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea in Conakry.