NFF sacks Peseiro as Super Eagles coach

NFF sacks Peseiro as Super Eagles coach

SCORENigeria can exclusively report that the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has decided not to extend the contract of Jose Peseiro as Super Eagles coach.

This followed a virtual Executive Committee meeting on Friday chaired by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau.

A top official informed SCORENigeria that the decision was taken after negotiations for a new contract with Peseiro collapsed.

“The Board has opted not to extend the contract of Peseiro,” he disclosed.

“There was no headway in negotiations with the coach and as such it was decided we part ways.”

It was gathered that one of the vexed contractual issues has to do with Peseiro’s monthly salary of $70,000, which the NFF asked he should take a pay cut as they do not have the finances to bear such an overhead.

Peseiro’s one-year contract ran out at the end of July 2023.

A renewal was predicated on the performance of the Super Eagles at the 2023 AFCON, which has now been delayed till January 2024.

The NFF have therefore claimed force majeure not to work again with the 63-year-old Portuguese coach.

Peseiro was appointed Eagles coach in May 2022 and he qualified the country to the 2023 AFCON with a round of matches to spare.

However, his record and the football played by the team were far from convincing leading to calls for him to be sacked.

In his absence, a caretaker coach will be appointed for a final 2023 AFCON qualifier against Sao Tome & Principe on September 10 in Uyo.

It is expected that a substantive coach will then be hired before the Super Eagles first two rounds of 2026 World Cup qualifying matches in November.

Nigeria are drawn against South Africa, Benin Republic, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda for a place at the expanded 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.