AFCON 2023 Fallout: Former Nigeria goalkeeper calls for sacking of Jose Peseiro 

By Wale Mustapha

Former Nigeris national football team goalkeeper, Idah Peterside has called for the sacking of Jose Peseiro as Head Coach of Super Eagles following the team’s failure to win the 2023 African Cup of Nations, AFCON tournament.

The Super Eagles fell to a 2-1 defeat to hosts, Ivory Coast on Sunday as two second half goals from Frank Kessie and Sebastian Haller turned the result on its head following William Troost-Ekong’s first half goal for Nigeria.

Peterside expressed displeasure with how the three-times African winners fared at the tournament which he feels was down to Peseiro’s poor tactics.

“We all know Brazilians play Samba football, the British will always play fast football and just drop the ball, that is how they play,” he told media

“Now we are playing the Portuguese version of Jose Mourinho where we pack the bus. That is what we are playing now but this is not our style.

“Look at Ivory Coast, they fired their coach, well the coach resigned if I would say when they didn’t qualify.

“They brought their home-based coach who knew the culture, and all of a sudden everything changed.

“He would have said to them, where are you running to, pass the ball. Every time you play football, the coaches will tell to you deny the opponent time and space, and whoever holds the ball wins the game.

“Everybody is looking for one ball, so knock it around, play it around, and you get the results.

“We don’t have that kind of culture. You know a lot of people asked me yesterday, the coach got the final, what do you think, I said to fire him.”

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Football Federation, gave a semi final mandate to Peseiro for the AFCON which he was able to surpass.