The NFF over the weekend appointed Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro as the head coach of the Nigeria national team aka the Super Eagles. Peseiro was given a one-year deal that expires in June 2023 to take charge of the Super Eagles as they will continue in their preparations for the AFCON 2023.
The Portuguese manager was listed amongst others to take over from interim boss Augustine Eguavoen, who was in charge of the Eagles when they failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Former PSG manager Laurent Blanc, as well as Philip Cocu, were all contacted by the NFF regarding the job vacancy.
The former Venezuela manager Peseiro agreed on personal terms with the NFF for a 12-month contract that sees him earn thirty million Naira monthly($70k). The NFF had delayed appointing a new manager after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Mundial in Qatar. Peseiro was always a favourite to land the job after he was contacted in January but due to the nearness of the AFCON, a deal could not be agreed on time, and thus Eguavoen was appointed on a short-term basis.
Peseiro will see his contract upgraded to a possible two-year extension depending on his match performances in the next run of games. The Eagles will be in the US for international friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador where the American nations will be preparing for the World Cup in November where Peseiro will be in charge of the 23-man squad.
Napoli star Victor Osimhen will be rested for the friendlies but will join the camp in June when Nigeria takes on Mauritius in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers. Invited stars include Moses Simon, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Leon Balogun amongst others. Six home-based players were also invited to the camp and it will be friendly games they will be hoping to use as a stepping stone to make it for competitive games in a few weeks’ time.
The Eagles are still second in the African rankings and are behind only the Teranga Lions of Senegal. NFF are working to ensure a switch in nationality for Crystal Palace winger Ebere Eze as they continue to search for creative midfielders to boost their attacking abilities.
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