The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will soon engage the services of a new coach for the Super Eagles following the resignation of the team’s Portuguese coach, Jose Peserio. After the conclusion of 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, Peseiro’s contract was not renewed as both parties were unable to reach agreement in spite of the fact that Peseiro surpassed the set target of reaching the semi finals at AFCON.
The Super Eagles reached the final of AFCON 2023 but narrowly lost to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. Given the podium finish of the Super Eagles at the tournament, the best so far in a long while, the NFF should have renewed Peseiro’s contract. We say this because of the remaining crucial matches to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite his shortcomings, Peserio must be commended for the Super Eagles’ sterling performance at the 2023 AFCON. His was a great improvement over the team’s poor showing at AFCON 2022 held in Cameroon where they exited at round of 16 under the watch of former Super Eagles captain, Augustine Eguavoen, following the termination of the contract of the Franco-German coach, Genort Rohr. Unlike the eventual winner, who suffered two defeats in the hands of Equatorial Guinea and Senegal before the final game, Peseiro’s men were unbeaten before losing the final.
For the sake of continuity, the Portuguese tactician should have been retained since the players he had groomed during his 22-month tenure were beginning to blossom. Considering that Nigeria is at a precarious position in its World Cup qualifying group, it would have been better to retain Peseiro for the important tasks ahead. But since NFF has issued a vacancy on his position following the contract breakdown, we would like to wish Peseiro well for making a mark as the head coach of the Super Eagles in less than two years.
The coaching crew of any team is as important as the players themselves. We may have some of the best crops of players in Africa, like the reigning African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, if there is no capable coach to harness the abundant talents, the Super Eagles may be haunted by the ghost of the past. This is why the NFF should endeavour to hire a world-class coach to handle the Super Eagles, whether indigenous or foreign. The new coach must be one with a proven track record of achievements and one who understands the dynamics of our players, the African football terrain and expectations of being the Super Eagles coach in a football-loving country like Nigeria, where failure is not condoned. This is not the right time to give rejected coaches a second chance to try their luck.
Understandably, calls have been made for the NFF to hire a homegrown Nigerian coach to handle the national team. But there are fears that the indigenous coaches can easily be manipulated. Some of the previous local coaches of the national team were accused of favouritism and lack of confidence in disciplining erring footballers, especially the stars playing in European league and others. However, coaches like Hassan Shehata of Egypt, who won AFCON on three consecutive occasions, from 2006 to 2010, and Aliou Cisse of Senegal, who won AFCON two years ago and qualified the team for the last World Cup, are all indigenous coaches who distinguished themselves in handling their national teams.
If a Nigerian coach must be hired, he should be eminently qualified for the job. This is not the time to play the ethnic card. We need the best for the coaching job. The new coach must have a good track record of achievements as a coach. The shoe of the Super Eagles head is too big for an inexperienced coach to step into.
Though Nigeria’s current 28th position in the FIFA ranking is an improvement on the 43rd position it was occupying before the AFCON 2023, the next coach of the Super Eagles should qualify the team for the World Cup and restore the team to its highest ranking as the 5th best team in the world in 1995. Nevertheless, the national team needs a good coach to fly again.