“He is very eager” – NFF boss Pinnick provides Peseiro’s Super Eagles update

The Nigerian national team is still without a substantive head coach a few weeks to a crucial World Cup qualifying faceoff against eternal rivals Black Stars

President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has shed some light on the appointment of a new head coach for the Super Eagles.

The NFF announced a deal in place for former Sporting Lisbon manager Jose Peseiro in December, with the Portuguese expected to take charge of the Super Eagles after the completion of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Former international Augustine Eguavoen, on an interim basis, guided the Super Eagles to the Afcon, with reports indicating that Peseiro would be at the tournament in a supervisory capacity.

The 56-year-old did not show up in Cameroon, and Pinnick has now confirmed that he is yet to sign a contract with the NFF.

Things have, however, taken a different turn as there are calls from several quarters asking that Peseiro be snubbed and Eguavoen given the coaching job.

But Pinnick insists such a decision would be made after the federation deliberates on the Afcon report submitted by the technical committee headed by Eguavoen.

There is still a good chance that Peseiro can still be named the head coach, as Pinnick confirmed that the Portuguese remains eager to handle the three-time Afcon champions.

“The good thing is that we have not officially signed with Peseiro, but I am still in talk with him,” Pinnick told the media. 

“He is somebody that is very eager, and if you look at Portugal, it is the country that is blessed with good coaches.

“Cameroon coach is a Portuguese, Egyptian coach, Carlos Queiroz is a Portuguese. The truth is, we will look at the recommendation of the technical committee: I have never worked alone; we allow our committee to function, and once they submit their report, the whole world would know our next direction.”

The uncertainty surrounding the Super Eagles head coach job started when the NFF sacked German gaffer Gernot Rohr in December.

During his tenure, Rohr helped the Eagles qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2019 and 2021 Afcon championships.

The next Super Eagles coach will have the immediate task of leading Nigeria to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with a two-legged playoff against Ghana’s Black Stars the only remaining stumbling block.