Sports

Why Super Eagles Coach, Peseiro’s Contract Should Not Be Renewed’

Published

3 years ago

June 24, 2023

Editor

The Nigeria Football Federation is in a dilemma over the fate of Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro. Engaged last year on a one-year contract to navigate the team through the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the coach has seen his contract through as it ends this June.

He was promised an extension if he could take Nigeria to Ivory Coast next January and win the AFCON trophy which the Super Eagles last won in 2013 in South Africa under late Coach Stephen Keshi.

Peseiro has qualified the team for the tournament but for all his effort, Nigerians are still not convinced of his capacity to lead the national team back to its glory days. Jose Peseiro’s reign, as short as it has been, so far, has seen the Super Eagles come under a very bad patch, littered with poor results and indifferent displays. The team struggles in every match, no matter the opposition. Many Nigerians are of the opinion that with the coach in charge, the Eagles cannot get past the quarter-finals of the 24-team AFCON tournament.

Dotun OMISAKIN writing for an online platform, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) spoke the minds of many Nigerians by saying, “Peseiro has performed below par.”

He defended his position. “Peseiro played ten matches; won 4 and lost 6. The coach lost all five friendly matches played by the Super Eagles.”

No doubt, this is the worst record by Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a single season. The biggest humiliation was the Super Eagles’ 0-1 home loss to Guinea Bissau in Abuja.

After that match, calls for Peseiro’s sack were loud. Most of the people spoken to, especially sportswriters who covered that match, were of the opinion that Peseiro should go. Some were so bitter that they did not expect the gaffer to spend another day on the job. Veteran journalist, Kunle Solaja told this writer in Abuja, “The team is not consistent as they don’t have a winning habit. The defeat by Guinea Bissau is the fourth in a row. The last time that happened was 42 years ago,”

However, with the quality squad of individual stars at his disposal, the Portuguese has managed to qualify for the AFCON 2023, with a match to spare. Intriguingly, the qualification has come at the tail end of his contract. Will the Nigeria Football Federation renew his contract or let him go?

Omisakin submitted thus, “The team still depend on the individual brilliance of their top stars like Victor Osimhen to win games.

“Statistically, Peseiro has lost more games than he has won – 6 losses, 4 wins – and the Eagles are still not playing the beautiful football Nigerians crave for, the same reason his predecessor Rohr was booted out.”.

Renowned journalist and publisher of Score Nigeria, an online platform, Samm Audu wrote “even though he has qualified Nigeria for the 2023 AFCON to be hosted by Cote d’Ivoire in January, he has not done enough to deserve a new deal. The team still depend on the individual brilliance of their top stars like Victor Osimhen to win games.”

The NFF must have the courage, the steel backbone, to let Peseiro go and bring new energy and ideas for the Eagles to be super again.

“The Super Eagles do not play again till September 4 in Uyo in a final 2023 AFCON Group A match against bottom team Sao Tome and Principe.”

He continued, “This will be a great window of opportunity for a new man to take charge as he will then have good enough time to set up a new team in time for the start of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup in November.

“Besides the match against Sao Tome, the NFF must ensure they also arrange a second game for the Eagles within that window so that the new coach can fully settle in on the job before the World Cup qualifiers and then the AFCON in the New Year.”

The major problem confronting the NFF is the 10 months arrears Peseiro is being owed. The Super Eagles coach earns US $70,000 monthly. So, to ask him to go will be a case of NFF shooting itself in the foot. A source at the Glass House told Sports Vanguard that before Peseiro’s appointment, the former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare had assured the NFF that the federal government would be responsible for payment of the salary of the incoming coach. This has not been the case since the arrival of Peseiro. “The whole burden has been on the NFF and we have no money to pay such a huge amount,” our usually reliable source said.

It is left to be seen whether the Nigeria Football Federation will, because of the huge debt, renew the coach’s contract or pay him off and let him go.

Privately, the NFF leadership is not convinced he is the man to lead Nigeria to glory despite his repeated boast that he will win the next AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

A breakdown of the matches played by the Super Eagles under Peseiro:

May 29, 2022 Mexico 2 vs Nigeria 1

June 3, 2022 Ecuador 1 vs Nigeria 0

June 9, 2022 Nigeria 2 vs Sierra Leone 1

June 13, 2022 Sao Tome and Principe 0 vs Nigeria 10

Sept 27, 2022 Algeria 2 vs Nigeria 1

Nov 10, 2022 Costa Rica 2 vs Nigeria 0

Nov 1u, 2022 Portugal 4 vs Nigeria 0

Mar 24, 2023 Nigeria 0 vs Guinea-Bissau 1

Mar 27, 2023 Guinea-Bissau 0 vs Nigeria 1

June18 20023 Sierra Leone 2 vs Nigeria 3

VANGUARD

Sports

EPL: Rooney Names Team To Win Title

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Former Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney, has said Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League title, after Manchester City dropped points against Everton.

City were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men are now five points behind Arsenal, but they have one game in hand.

Rooney believes the Gunners will beat West Ham this weekend and go on to be champions.

He said on BBC Sport: “No, I’m concerned for West Ham. I just think Arsenal are efficient and professional.

“I just think they will win every game. So obviously, with the result tonight, that means they will win the league.”

Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

6 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.