Football Federation of Nigeria president Ibrahim Gusau has announced that fans of the selection will decide the fate of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, a consultation which also aims to bail out the body’s accounts.
Under contract until June 30, Jose Peseiro managed to qualify Nigeria for the next CAN in January 2024, but has a negative record of four wins for five losses.
“We have planned to get Nigerians to vote to hear their views,” Gusau announced during a local radio broadcast on Saturday. “We tried foreign breeders, other local ones. We may not have managed to find the right person, it will be up to the public to decide if Peseiro should continue or leave,” added the Federation boss.
This recourse to the public also aims to generate income, since supporters will have to telephone to communicate their choice, while the Federation is facing a financial crisis and that Peseiro, whose monthly salary is estimated at 70,000 dollars, is experiencing delays in payment.
Appointed in May 2022, Peseiro is not unanimous among Eagles fans, who notably consider him too dependent on his stars Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze.
Among the former internationals, Kadiri Ikhana denounced “tactical shortcomings”, adding that “the credit” for qualifying for the CAN “rested with the players”. He pleaded for the appointment of a local coach. “Let him compete in the CAN and decide his future afterwards”, on the contrary claimed another ex-international, Victor Ezeji.
