National Teams
NFF in a precarious position to sack Jose Peseiro – Board member
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive member Nse Essien has opened up on the difficulty of letting the Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro go at this point amidst demands for the sack of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team coach.
The Portuguese tactician has been under fire after back-to-back 1-1 draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the opening two games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
The team had to come from behind twice to earn a hard-fought draw in both games and the two games have put Nigeria’s qualification for the next FIFA World Cup in serious jeopardy.
Speaking in a post-match interview, Essien said he wasn’t oblivious to the calls for Peseiro’s sack but the NFF was incapacitated by monetary constraints.
“If we had the money (to pay for compensation), we would be willing to relieve him of his job, we’re not happy,” NFF member Essien told reporters.
“Everybody is asking for the sack of the head coach. It’s unfortunate that from a possible six points, we only have two points. We’re in a very precarious situation,” he stated.
Super Eagles will now focus on preparations for next year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast in their bid to turn the bad result into success in Abidjan.
They will face host, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea in Group A.
