NFF Appoints Jose Peseiro as New Head Coach of Super Eagles
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed Portuguese gaffer, José Vitor dos Santos Peseiro, 62, as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
The former Saudi Arabia and Venezuelan gaffer, Peseiro was five months ago appointed to lead the Nigerian senior national team, but the deal was put on hold due to interference of Sports Ministry that forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to call off the deal.
The Director of Communication of the NFF, Ademola Olajire, has announced in a statement that Peseiro is the preferred choice amongst the four coaches interviewed for the job.
The others were former Barcelona manager, Ernesto Valverde, former Derby County gaffer, Phillip Cocu and former Cameroon Head Coach, Anthony Conceicao.
“The appointment (of Peseiro) is with immediate effect, subject to the signing of agreed terms between the NFF and Mr Peseiro,” the official statement from the NFF announced.
Peseiro 62 played as a striker in his days and has wide and varied experience coaching top 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.
Peseiro’s first assignment will be 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 trade tackles with the El Tri at the AT & T Stadium in Dallas, State of Texas on Saturday, 28th May before flying to New Jersey to confront Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday, 2nd June.
The NFF also announced that former Nigeria international forward; Finidi George will now be 1st Assistant to Peseiro, with Salisu Yusuf now to be 2nd Assistant as well as Head Coach of the CHAN and U23 National Teams. Usman Abdallah is 3rd Assistant while Eboboritse Uwejamomere will be the Match Analyst and another former Nigeria international, Ike Shorounmu will be the Goalkeepers’ Trainer.