Tag: Peseiro

Former Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, may be leaving on borrowed time at his new club, Zamalek after the Egyptian’s elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup at the quarter final stage to South African side, Stellenbosch.

Peseiro led the Eagles to the 2023 AFCON final in Cote d’Ivoire and he joined the deposed CAF Confederation Cup winners last year after staying for months without job after his failure to renew his contract with the Nigeria’s senior national team.

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Zamalek had played a goalless draw against Stellenbosch in South Africa and were expecting a favourable result that will take them to the semi-final stage but they were shocked 1-0 through Sihle Nduli’s 79th minute goal.

The Egyptian side form in the domestic league too is not commendable as they are placed third with 32 points from 17 games behind Pyramids and Al Ahly who have 42 and 39 points in that order.

It is still unclear if Peseiro would still be in charge of the team when they face Haras El Hodoud in the league on Sunday with the manner of the team’s ouster in the Africa’s second tier club competition.

Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro is reportedly  set to make a comeback to coaching, months after leaving his role as head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Peseiro had a notable tenure with the Super Eagles, leading them to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

During his watch, Nigeria went undefeated in six matches before losing to the hosts in the final, marking Nigeria’s first AFCON final appearance in over a decade.

Read Also: Peseiro prayed I succeeded him – Finidi

Despite efforts from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to extend his contract, Peseiro chose to explore other opportunities, leading to the appointment of former international Finidi George as the new Super Eagles coach.

After his departure, Peseiro was linked with several coaching roles in South Africa and Egypt, but none materialised. Now, it appears he is close to a new assignment in Saudi Arabia.

According to reports, Saudi Pro League club Al Riyadh has entered negotiations with Peseiro to replace their current coach, Odair Hellmann. Spanish coach Javier Pereira is also being considered for the role.

Al Riyadh, who finished 14^th  last season, are keen on finding a new leader, and Peseiro’s previous experience in Saudi Arabia makes him a strong candidate.

He previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh has refuted the report making the round that he was in advanced talks with former Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro over a potential return as Nigeria’s senior national team manager. 

Enoh in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser Diana Mary Nsan, said the author of the report fabricated it with the sole intent of sensationalism and spreading falsehood. 

He  noted that  it was not his job to influence or interfere in critical decisions designated to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and that his immediate task is to ensure that the NFF properly functions and the sports sector is revamped under the Renewed Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

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“We have been made aware of some news circulating in certain media channels about the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, supposedly in advanced talks with José Peseiro for a potential return as Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. We want to clarify that this news is entirely false and has been fabricated to create sensation,” the Sports Minister as quoted as saying. 

“The Sports Minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, does not interfere or influence critical decisions of the federations, particularly in this case, the NFF. He operates with utmost decorum and ensures that the federations meet the required expectations and standards in the discharge of their duties.

“The Honourable Minister of Sports is committed to ensuring that the sports sector in Nigeria achieves monumental success under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Therefore, we urge Nigerians who love sports , critical stakeholders, including the media, to continue supporting the Federal Ministry of Sports Development and disregard this false news.

“All updates from the Ministry of Sports Development and the Federations will be communicated through authorized and appropriate channels.”

Jose Peseiro announced his decision to step down as coach of Nigeria on Friday after leading the country to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations last month.

The 63-year-old Portuguese coach met the target of guiding the Super Eagles to the semifinal of the tournament set for him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but opted to move on.

Peseiro said it was a great privilege to work with Nigeria and he and his staff will miss both the officials and players they have worked with over the past two years.

“It has been 22 months of immense dedication, sacrifice, emotion, and enormous enthusiasm. We feel a sense of fulfillment,” Peseiro posted on X, formerly Twitter, after his contract with the NFF ran out Thursday.

Read Also: BREAKING: Peseiro resigns as Eagles coach 

“Guys, we are thankful; it has been a privilege to be part of this family.

“We will miss you, but we will always be there for you, no matter where you are. A big hug to all of you.”

Peseiro was appointed Nigeria coach in May 2022 amid concerns he would not make a success of the job going by his past record.

He helped the country qualify for the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which was staged in Ivory Coast last month, when the Super Eagles went all the way to the championship game.

His critics knocked his defensive tactics even though the team reached the final against most expectations.

His extended contract covered only the Africa Cup of Nations after which officials said he was offered a new deal with the same monthly salary of $50,000, which he earned when he took a pay cut last year to keep his post.

Jose Peseiro, whose contract with the Super Eagles ended with the recent 2023 AFCON, has said he will decide on his next job in the coming days.

The Portuguese coach said he has received at least seven offers since he guided Nigeria to the final of the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

Peseiro has already missed out on the Algeria top post after the North African country chose the Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic.

He said in the coming days he will make a decision on his future.

Read Also:Super Eagles Tracker: Osimhen’s goal fails to lift  Napoli against Cagliari

 “I told everyone to come back at the end of the month. What is certain is that I want to continue coaching and I need to choose wisely,” he told Goal media. “At this moment, I repeat, all options remain possible. I received a lot of options, and a lot of contacts from national teams or clubs. 

 “I would say 5, 6 or 7 (without revealing their identities). 

 “I let them all know that I need to rest and that when my contract expires I will talk about it and start thinking about other projects. And decide my future. For now, I need to take a break and be calm. 

 “But I listen to the proposals and projects that are offered to me.

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has  been linked with the vacant Algeria coaching job.

Peseiro’s contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will end at the end of this month.

Reports the North African country  suggested that  the Portuguese is under serious consideration to lead the Desert Foxes.

Read Also: Peseiro saddened on Eagles’ AFCON title miss

Former South Africa and Egypt coach,  Portuguese Carlos Queiroz has also been associated with the job.

The Algeria Football Federation are in the hunt for a new coach for the Desert Foxes following the team’s poor showing in Cote d’Ivoire

The two-time African champions were knocked out in the group stage of the competition.

Peseiro has previously been linked with top Egyptian club Zamalek. 

• Nwabali  unfazed  over threats  in South Africa

Super Eagles coach  Jose Peseiro has expressed sadness over the inability of the national team to win the recently concluded   2023  Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

Peseiro  said as much while speaking at the State House, Abuja, after being  honoured, along with others by President Bola Tinubu for the team’s performance at the AFCON.

The Portuguese, who expressed excitement over the invitation to the State House by President Tinubu and the honours and gifts that followed, however lauded the performance of the team at the tournament, saying they gave their one hundred percent.

 “First of all, I’ll like to say thank you to the President. I am 60 years old, this is the first time some president invited me to his house. It’s an honour and a pride to me that the President of the Republic of Nigeria for the invitation to come here. Thank you very much.

 “About the final, if you ask me, I think we did a fantastic job, our team showed very good spirit and played well. My boys did 100 percent, same for my staff and the NFF was the biggest for us. So you can find my staff also and everybody, thank you to the players.

 “Of course I would have liked to bring the cup to the Nigerian people, I’m sad about that, but of course I’m happy because I think we did a fantastic job. In the final, I think we felt that atmosphere”, he said.

Also speaking after the meeting with the President,  goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, has said he will be returning to his South African club side, Chippa United despite alleged threats by some aggrieved fans.

Read Also: AFCON: Asisat Oshoala defends Iwobi, lambasts Tunde Ednut, VeryDarkMan

Nwabali was reportedly threatened on the social media by some fanatical  supporters of Bafana Bafana  for being instrumental to the team’s  ouster at the semi-final stage where  he stopped  two  in the decisive penalty  shoot-out.

 “I must go back to my club, but talking about the threat, this is football, you can’t threaten someone because they also won some other teams too,” Nwabali said  when asked if he would be returning to Chippa United.

He added: “How about if those they beat decided to be keep threatening your players?

 “It doesn’t make sense. It’s football, I don’t think there’s anything attached to it. Maybe it was just someone writing on social media.

 “But it’s cool to me because I spoke to my chairman like three days ago, but he didn’t say anything like all those stuffs. So he felt like ‘no, it’s cool, you can come back. Definitely I must go back to my club because they owe me.”