Peseiro to NFF Pay for expertise, not instruction.
Sports Minister calls Portuguese coach
Jose Peseiro, the Super Eagles coach, has reportedly urged the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee to prioritize settling outstanding allowances for him and his team instead of attempting to instruct him in his role. This comes after NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Shariff Ahlan, suggested in October that the Eagles' struggles were linked to Peseiro's alleged poor technical abilities during a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
You're too occupied to settle my allowances, yet not too busy to dictate my actions," responded Peseiro to Ahlan when informed that he would have to justify his squad selections for upcoming matches.
Despite successfully guiding Nigeria to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Peseiro's lackluster team currently lags behind Rwanda and South Africa in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, following two 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
In his 15 games at the helm of the Eagles, Peseiro has secured six victories and suffered six defeats, with the three-time African champions scoring 31 goals—10 of which came in a single game against Sao Tome and Principe—while conceding 21 goals.
Moving forward, should I continue as a member of the technical committee, he must present a professional squad list and provide a thorough explanation to the committee, justifying the inclusion of each player based on their statistics and club performance.
"From our perspective, we've expressed doubts about Peseiro's ability to handle the job. The way he manages the team suggests that he may consider the Nigeria national team to be bigger than himself, to be honest.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister John Enoh has called for a meeting with Peseiro to address the Super Eagles' disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Enoh shared this information during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, stating that discussions with the NFF president, secretary, and the Technical Department prompted the decision. He mentioned, "I've requested the coach (Peseiro) to be summoned, and there will be an engagement with him next week to address the outcomes of these matches, particularly the World Cup qualifiers."
In response to calls from certain football stakeholders for the dismissal of the Portuguese coach due to poor results, Enoh emphasized that decisions about sacking a coach should not be driven by emotions, despite the sentiments of Nigerian football enthusiasts.
"As a minister, my concern is that the Nigeria national team is falling short of our expectations. With the Africa Cup of Nations approaching, we must be cautious in our decision-making. The next World Cup qualification match is scheduled for June, providing us with more time to make informed decisions.
"The AFCON is set to commence on January 13. Are we considering firing the coach (Peseiro)? The answer is evident.
"In this sector, I've observed the presence of strong passions and emotions. However, from my position of leadership, decisions are not influenced by emotions; rather, they are made with careful consideration."
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