Jose Peseiro has officially departed from his role as the head coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national football team.
Peseiro led the team to a commendable second-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire, where Nigeria lost 2-1 to the hosts in the final.
Taking to his X account on Friday, the Portuguese coach revealed that his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had come to an end, and no new deal had been reached. Peseiro, who took charge of the Super Eagles in 2022, characterized his tenure as “22 months of immense dedication, sacrifice, emotion, and enormous enthusiasm.”
Jose Peseiro has parted ways with the Nigerian national team. He said he feels a sense of fulfilment after leading the Super Eagles to silver in #AFCON2023 #3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/6dgf4eKRff
— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) March 1, 2024
Expressing gratitude to the players and the leadership at the NFF, Peseiro stated, “We would like to express our gratitude to Sir Amaju Pinnick (the president who signed us), President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, Secretary Dayo Enebi, the NFF, all the Staff, and especially all the PLAYERS, with whom leading has been a great pleasure.”
While Nigeria secured the silver medal in the AFCON tournament, some fans raised concerns about Peseiro’s strategic choices, often favoring attacking creativity over defensive rigidity.
Despite the mixed reactions to his coaching style, Peseiro and the squad were honored with the national award of the Members of the Order of Niger (MON). Additionally, they received plots of land and flats in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from President Bola Tinubu.
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In his farewell message, Jose Peseiro thanked the Super Eagles’ family, assuring them that even though he will miss them, he will always be there for them.
Peseiro 😁#AFCON2023 | #SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/3t1Z5MgclM
— Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) January 10, 2024
The announcement follows the departure of coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Rigobert Song. Before that, Black Stars coach Chris Hughton, Djamel Belmadi of Algeria and Egypt coach Rui Vitoria among others all left their jobs after the tournament.
The departure of the coach leaves the NFF in search of a successor to lead the Super Eagles into future competitions.