An NFF board member has reacted to calls for Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro to be sacked, noting that it would be impossible to do at this point in time
After a thoroughly disappointing international window where Nigeria’s Super Eagles failed to pick up maximum points against either Lesotho or Zimbabwe in 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, there have been calls for the NFF to sack head coach Jose Peseiro.
However, a member of the NFF’s board, Hon. Nse Essien, has rebuffed those calls, stating that such a move would be impossible at the moment, even though the national federation was unhappy about the Portuguese gaffer’s performances.
“Use local coach – Nigerians urge NFF to sack Peseiro after Super Eagles draw with Zimbabwe”
Nigeria has managed to pick up only two points from their two opening World Cup qualifying matches, and Hon. Essien noted the frustration of fans of the Super Eagles.
Speaking after the recent draw against Zimbabwe, the NFF board member told @OjbSports on X, “If you check the internet, almost everyone is asking for the sack of the head coach. It’s unfortunate that out of six points, we have only two, and we’ve found ourselves in a very precarious situation.”
NFF have no plans to sack Peseiro
Despite the growing disapproval for Peseiro, Hon. Essien, however, noted that the NFF had no plans to sack Peseiro soon, as they neither employed the Portuguese gaffer nor did they have enough money to pay him a severance for early termination of his contract.
Hon. Essien added, “But when you say NFF should sack the head coach, we didn’t employ him. This regime didn’t employ him. It was the sports ministry that employed him and was supposed to have paid his salary, and up to now, they have not paid a dime, so if you sack the coach, who pays compensation?
“We have to respect Jose Peseiro’s contract. If we had the money to give to him (pay him off) we are going to relieve him. We are not happy.”
Instead, the NFF Board member stated that the Federation would have to respect Peseiro’s contract due to financial constraints; otherwise, they would have already done away with the manager.
“We have to respect Jose Peseiro’s contract. Essien said, concluding, If we had the money to give to him [as severance] why wouldn’t we relieve him? We are not happy.”
The statement from the NFF bigwig means that fans will have to endure the current Super Eagles hierarchy under Peseiro until at least the end of the 2023 AFCON when the Portuguese manager’s current short-term contract expires.
