LAGOS, April 4 - Nigerian Sports Minister Saidu Sambawa has cancelled the contract given to national team coach Austin Eguavoen, a sports ministry statement said on Tuesday.

Eguavoen was reappointed to the position last month by the acting secretary general of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), a move opposed by NFA chairman Ibrahim Galadima.

The sports ministry statement said Sambawa had annulled the contract because all national team coaching jobs have to be advertised.

"Competent hands will be given opportunities to vie for all the coaching jobs," the statement said.

"This is not restricted to only football but all the sports associations under the federal ministry of sports and social development."

Eguavoen took the team to the bronze medal at the African Nations Cup in Egypt in February. He got the job last year after Nigeria failed to reach terms with Frenchman Phillipe Troussier for a second spell as coach.