The Nigeria
Football Federation has settled for 61-year-old Portuguese manager
Jose Peseiro as the new head coach for the Super Eagles.
Though the appointment of Peseiro is coming just as the
Super Eagles camp for the Africa Cup of Nations officially opens in Abuja, the
NFF clarified that interim manager Augustine Eguavoen will still lead the
Eagles to Cameroon.
Definitely, many fans will wonder what informed the choice
of Peseiro going by the interest shown in the Nigeria job by a handful of other
coaches.
Here are five things to know about the new sheriff in town.
First-ever Portuguese Super Eagles coach
Even before overseeing any game for Nigeria, the appointment
of Peseiro is historic, as he becomes the first Portuguese manager ever to be
hired to coach the country’s national team.
The Nigeria national team, in its over 70 years of
existence, has enjoyed the services of 20 foreign coaches dominated by Germans
and the Dutch. This thus marks a new era for the Super Eagles, with a coach
reportedly recommended by Jose Mourinho
Not new to Africa
Though the Nigeria national team is a first of its kind for
Peseiro, the 61-year-old is not entirely new to African football. Peseiro had a
short stint with the continent’s most successful club side-Al Ahly of Egypt.
Though he won the league title with Egyptian giants, the
fans of the Egyptian club did not take to the Portuguese, and that contributed
to his early exit from the club
He has worked in high-ranking clubs
If there is one thing to be sure about is the calibre of
players in the Super Eagles, each will not intimidate Peseiro.
The Portuguese has had stints with some high-profile clubs
like Real Madrid with their Galactico philosophy. He also managed Portugal’s
most successful club, FC Porto, among many other top clubs.
Many unhappy endings
Though well-traveled and with vast experience, Peseiro’s
basket of woes at different teams across different periods does not instill
lots of confidence.
From Panathinaikos to FC Porto to Braga and even Saudi
Arabia, there has hardly ever been any happy ending wherever he has found
himself.
That said, the Portuguese tactician has some notable moments
winning silverware, with the last being the league title with Al-Ahly
Left Venezuela because of unpaid salaries
The NFF openly admitted defaulting in the payment of
salaries to coach Gernot Rohr and, interestingly, Peseiro resigned from his
last job with Venezuela because of unpaid wages.
This perhaps informs some reported clauses being championed
by the Portuguese to be inserted in his contract because, once beaten, twice
shy!
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