Sports

Peseiro Must Go, Angry Fans Tell NFF After Guinea-Bissau’s Defeat

Published

2 years ago

March 25, 2023

Top football stakeholders in the country have called on the Nigeria Football Federation to sack Jose Peseiro, following the Super Eagles’ uninspiring 1-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

A first-half strike from Mama Balde secured a comfortable win for the Djurtus, who move one point clear of the Eagles to top Group A, with three games to play.

The defeat dented Eagles’ AFCON qualification hopes, but boost the Djurtus chances of reaching the continental showpiece for a second consecutive time in Ivory Coast, having appeared at the delayed edition in Cameroon last year.

It was the first time in three decades that the Eagles failed to win a game in three straight games.

The three time African champions suffered earlier friendly defeats in the hands of Algeria (2-1), Portugal (4-0) and Guinea Bissau 1-0.

Since Peseiro took charge as coach of the Eagles, he has recorded only two wins — against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome — in the seven games that he has been with the three-time African champions.

He was not with the team when they lost to Costa Rica in a pre-World Cup friendly last November.

Former Eagles defender Sam Sodje believes Peseiro’s defensive frailties were exposed by the Djurtus.

“You can’t win games if you do not defend well as a team,” Sodje said.

“He (Peseiro) should leave. Even the best teams defend well as a unit. We lost to Djurtus because they defended well.”

Ace sports broadcaster, Temisan Okomi, questioned the competence of Peseiro and his technical abilities.

“At the rate we are going I don’t even know if we have a coaching problem or a team problem,”Okomi began.

“The truth of the matter is that Peseiro is absolutely not useful as a coach to us. Its not working at all. He has only won two games in seven games, its untenable. The problem we have is that we cannot even sack him because we don’t have money but if we can, the NFF should sack him immediately.

“Peseiro has not worked for us and we need to find another coach fast.”

Football analyst Ralph Chidozie-George told Saturday PUNCH that Peseiro should be replaced to avoid further embarrassing results.

“Peseiro does not deserve to be the coach of the Eagles,” Chidozie-George said.

“The Eagles job is bigger than him. He does not have what it takes to coach Nigeria. He also does not have the strong will to lead the team.

“From his results, we’ve only been able to beat Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and another low country as Guinea-Bissau just defeated the Eagles at home and he has lost all his friendly games. This is not the coach that will take the Eagles beyond the mediocre level Gernot Rohr left the team.

“His list of players for the game doesn’t look like a team selected based on current form, and as you can, see all the players who struggled for game time at their respective clubs messed up our game against Guinea-Bissau.”

Afolabi Gambari, another journalist, believes Peseiro lacks the technical ability to lead the Eagles out of the doldrums.

“Peseiro’s competence is suspect, as far as I know,”Gambari said.

“He is clueless and not desirable of the Eagles and because of the cost, he should just go away.”
PUNCH

Sports

Idahosa Hails Insurance 1-0 Thrashing Of Niger Tornadoes

Published

7 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa has hailed Bendel Insurance over their 1-0 victory against Niger Tornadoes in the week 4 fixture of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).

In a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo The deputy governor described the match played at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin on Saturday as a “hard fought victory” for the Benin Arsenals.

Idahosa said he was pleased with the players’ performance, who needed an extra time of six minutes to scored the goal that made the difference in the game.

He said the players should be motivated with the victory to enhance their performance in subsequent matches for the season.

“Though there is room for improvement, but am not the less impressed with their performance in the game against the Niger team.

“With their display, it is clear that Bendel Insurance this year and this season will do extremely well. We will be here to support and encourage them,” he stated.

Idahosa who noted that though his presence might not be the key determinant of this match result, however asserted, “They played passionately, but, if my presence would encourage them, I would be coming every now and then.”

He congratulated the Edo State Sports Commission Chairman, Hon. Desmond Amadin Enabulele for doing a wonderful job.

Similarly, Enabulele said that Insurance made their hunger for victory known right from the very first minute of the game.

According to him, “From the very first minute, Bendel Insurance FC played the Match, it was clear that they were going to win.

“Today, the boys did not only show that they were ready for Continental play this season, but they showed what they are made up of. I was impressed with their good ball possession from the blast of the whistle.”

Sports

Enabulele Applauds Team Edo Deaf Athletes For Performance At W’Africa Championship

Published

2 days ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Enabulele, has commended Team Edo deaf athletes who represented Nigeria at the just-concluded West Africa Deaf Athletics Championship in Abuja.

At the close of the championship, Nigeria secured six gold medals in total, with Team Edo contributing three gold and four silver medals.

Enabulele, in a statement signed by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, and made available to newsmen in Benin on Friday, described the athletes’ performance as outstanding and a source of pride for both Edo State and Nigeria.

“I am particularly thrilled by Deborah Ighawuanre’s exceptional performance in the female category, winning two gold medals at the championship,” Enabulele said.

He also commended the exploits of other Edo athletes, including Victory Odokara, who clinched gold in the women’s 400m event; Okpaise Nathaniel Junior, who won two silver medals in the men’s category; and Assurance Omoria, who claimed silver medals in both the 100m and 400m events.

Enabulele emphasized that the team’s success reflects the outcome of targeted investment and support from the state government.

“This feat is a clear testament to Governor Monday Okpebholo’s unwavering commitment to grassroots sports development in Edo State,” he stated.

The sports commission chairman who expressed optimism about the future of the athletes, said: “Our athletes have distinguished themselves at this championship, and I am confident these victories will inspire even greater performances in upcoming competitions.”

Enabulele disclosed in the statement that four of the seven athletes selected to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Deaflympics, scheduled for November 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, are from Edo State.

Adding his voice in the statement, Dr. Sunny Aimufua, Head Coach of the Edo Deaf Athletics Team, praised the athletes for their dedication and resilience.

“The athletes have made Edo State proud, and we are committed to doing even more in future competitions. I must commend Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele for his dynamic leadership and unwavering support for deaf sports.”

The West Africa Deaf Athletics Championship was organized to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS, bringing together top deaf athletes from across the sub-region for a historic and highly competitive event in Abuja.

Sports

2026 World Cup: All You Need To Know About South Africa Vs Nigeria Match

Published

6 days ago

September 8, 2025

Editor

The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein will take centre stage on Tuesday as South Africa’s Bafana Bafana host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

With Group C reaching its climax, both teams are under pressure to get a result. South Africa aims to solidify its position at the top of the group, while Nigeria is desperate for a win to keep its World Cup hopes alive.

Current standings

Bafana Bafana lead the group on 16 points after sweeping aside Lesotho 3-0 in their last outing. Nigeria trails in third with 10 points, just one shy of Benin Republic, who sit second. On Sunday, the Eagles narrowly edged Rwanda 1-0 to stay in the race.

Eagles under pressure

Nigeria’s inconsistent form—only two wins in five matches—means this tie could prove pivotal. Adding to the challenge, Hugo Broos’ South Africa are on a three-match unbeaten run at home and have won three qualifiers in a row.

Injury watch and key battles

The availability of Victor Osimhen remains uncertain after the striker suffered a knock against Rwanda.

Historically, Nigeria hold a slight edge in the rivalry with two wins in their last seven meetings.

Still, the South Africa team has been tough to beat on home soil, avoiding defeat in their last three games against the Eagles, including a 1-1 stalemate in 2024.

Rivalry

Nigeria’s last away win against South Africa came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Securing another statement victory on Tuesday would provide a huge boost to their qualification hopes.

Kickofft

The clash kicks off at 5 p.m. Nigerian time on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Fans can follow the action live on SuperSport, SportyBet TV, and AfroSport.