Less than 12 days to the Africa Cup of Nations, the Nigeria Football Federation stunned most football fans when the football body announced Jose Peseiro as the new head coach of the country’s National team.
They were not surprised that the NFF appointed a coach that has coached European clubs like Porto, Sporting CP, and Braga, they were surprised because of the timing of the appointment.
This is so because NFF sacked coach Gernot Rohr less than three weeks ago and appointed Augustine Eguavoen as the caretaker coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria less than a month to AFCON.
Even though the NFF has made it clear that Jose Peseiro would take over from Eguavoen at the end of the forthcoming AFCON, many believe that the appointment of the former Venezuela and Saudi Arabia coach might serve as a distraction to the national team during the tournament.
This argument would however not be valid if coach Jose Peseiro maintains his current role as an observant ahead and during the tournament and allow coach Eguavoen to do his job.
Before now, the report was that if Eguavoen manage to lead Nigeria to win the 2022 AFCON in Cameroon, he might be made the permanent coach of the national team. But with the recent development, the former Super Eagles football star would return to his role as a Technical Director, a role higher than that of the national team coach.
When the NFF announced the appointment of Peseiro on Wednesday, December 29, the football body claimed that Eguavoen and the new coach would use the AFCON to develop a long-lasting relationship.
“It was unanimously agreed that the AFCON is a good avenue for Mr. Peseiro to launch a working relationship with Mr. Eguavoen, who will revert to his role as Technical Director (hence Mr. Peseiro’s immediate boss) after the AFCON,” the NFF’s statement read.
Eguavoen and his Super Eagles of Nigeria squad will commence their AFCON campaign on January 11, 2022, against Egypt.
The Nigerian tactician who has been criticized for including only one Nigeria-based footballer, Enyimba’s John Noble to his 28-man list, would attempt to win AFCON Group D by beating Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, and Sudan.
What we know about Jose Peseiro
Jose Peseiro is a 61-year-old coach who is from Portugal. He his a former footballer who retired from the game in 1994.
Peseiro started his managerial career with União Santarém, the last club he was contracted to before he retired as a professional footballer.
He served as an assistant coach at Real Madrid between 2003 and 2004 before he was appointed the coach of Sporting CP in 2004.
After a season at the Portuguese club, he left for Al Hilal, then Rapid București, and in 2009, he was made the head coach of Saudi Arabia.
In 2012, he served as the coach of Braga, he was sacked after a season. He joined Al Wahda, and then Al Ahly before he had a brief spell at Porto and Braga in 2016.
The last country Jose Peseiro coached was Venezuela. He resigned after he lead the country to the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. Venezuela was eliminated in the group stage after two draws and two defeats.
Peseiro’s biggest achievement as a football coach came when he led Sporting CP to the final of the UEFA Cup during the 2004-2005 season. Sporting CP lost the final to CSKA Moscow.
