In the fourth chapter of his 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene explains why it is important to say less than necessary.
When an individual, especially a famous person, says a lot, they tend to lose control of the narrative.
Over the last few weeks, Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen has granted a couple of interviews on different stations, where he talked about his squad for the games against Ghana.
The former Nigeria international named a 25-man squad and another seven players on standby for the two massive World Cup playoff games against the Black Stars.
And as expected with any other squad list, it drew a lot of reactions from Nigerians, with many questioning the inclusion of some players.
One of the names in the list that caused controversy was the inclusion of Ogenyi Onazi, although he was only placed on standby.
Still, Nigerians questioned his inclusion as Onazi had not played for the country since 2018, and he is currently playing in the second division of the Saudi Arabian league.
As a result, Eguavoen was forced to answer questions over the former Lazio man's place on the list.
"Ogenyi Onazi is a good player," Eguavoen said. "Whether he's still good and can play at that level, we don't know, but to pacify everybody, to just make sure there's harmony here, I put him on standby."
While it is quite commendable for Eguavoen to speak to the press, there was no need for him to make such comments on his reason for inviting Onazi.
This is because the explanation has only further escalated the matter, even though it provided fans with answers.
There have always been rumours and suspicions of nepotism anytime the Super Eagles squad is released.
Although it may or may not be true, Eguavoen's comments only added fire to fans' suspicion, and they cannot be blamed for that, considering the way Nigeria operates.
The 56-year-old tactician should know better than to just use words carelessly because people will pick it up and run with it.
He could have avoided the question by not answering it, which is what many coaches do when they are put in a tough spot.
An example is the case of Eddie Howe at Newcastle. The former Bournemouth manager has been asked severally about what he thinks of the ongoing mass executions in Saudi Arabia.
But knowing his owners are from Saudi Arabia, Howe took a diplomatic approach to the question, saying he is only a football coach.
While some may argue that he is sitting on the fence, he has been able to avoid answering the question, which puts him in a safe spot.
Eguavoen could take a cue from Howe. He needs to know what to say and what not to say when granting interviews.
He needs to master the art of avoiding questions that could question his authority or control of the team.
Although he came out to clarify his statements in another interview, the damage had already been done.
Besides, it did not change anything as his words in the first interview was caught on tape.
It was not only his comments about Onazi's invitation that caused controversy.
He also could have done better with his comments about Cyriel Dessers non-inclusion in the squad.
Dessers has been one of Nigeria's best strikers in Europe this season; hence his name was brought up.
In fairness, it would have been difficult for the 26-year-old to break into the squad due to the competition in Nigeria's attack, but Eguavoen could have worded his explanation properly.
"You are talking about Cyriel Dessers, where is he playing?" Eguavoen said on Elegbete TV.
"So am I going to take the train from here to Holland? The answer is no."
This is not the best way to respond to fans who are demanding why a player playing well for his club has not been invited.
Eguavoen is a good talker, and he must be commended for it, especially in a country where the players hardly speak to the media.
However, while his attitude to the media should be praised, it is also essential that he learns how to say less than necessary as it would always help him be in control.