- Finidi George is now first assistant coach
Six months after his initial appointment of Super Eagles’ manager in place of the sacked Gernot Rohr, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has announced Jose Peseiro as the senior national team head coach.
Peseiro was first announced as Super Eagles head coach in December 2021, but the decision was reversed following the sports ministry intervention. The ministry reportedly did not agree with the NFF decision, as it did not follow standard recruitment procedures.
The ministry directed the NFF to open the window for more coaches to be auditioned for the position.
With all the grey areas seemingly covered, the Federation announced the appointment yesterday, saying it is “with immediate effect, subject to the signing of agreed terms between the NFF and Mr. Peseiro.”
Peseiro, whose full name is José Vitor dos Santos Peseiro, is a 62-year-old Portuguese, who played as a striker in his days and has wide and varied experience coaching clubs and national teams across four different continents, namely Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
An educationist with a degree in physical education/sports sciences, Peseiro has top-level coaching qualifications/training and has coached at Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, Panathinaikos, Rapid Bucharest, Sporting Braga, Victoria Gumaraes, Al-Hilal, Al-Wahda, Al-Ahly Cairo, Sharjah FC and Real Madrid (assistant coach during the Galacticos era), as well as serving as Head Coach of the Saudi Arabian and Venezuelan national teams.
He is expected to lead out the Super Eagles for the first time during the upcoming tour of the United States of America, during which the three-time African champions will slug it out with Mexico and Ecuador ‘A’ teams in prestige friendlies. The Eagles will tango with the El Tri at the AT & T Stadium in Dallas, the State of Texas on Saturday, May 28, before flying to New Jersey to confront Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday, June 2.
The NFF also announced that former Super Eagles forward, Finidi George, will now be the first assistant to Peseiro, with Salisu Yusuf now to be the second assistant as well as head coach of the CHAN and U-23 national teams.
Usman Abdallah is the third assistant coach, while Eboboritse Uwejamomere will be the match analyst and another former Super Eagles star, Ike Shorounmu, will be the goalkeepers’ trainer.