Former Sporting Lisbon manager Jose Peseiro is reportedly the leading candidate to become the new head coach of the Super Eagles after interim coach Austin Eguavoen vacated the position in March, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
It was also learnt that Dutch coach Mark Wotte and former Algeria coach Adel Amrouche are among the coaches who have shown interest in the Eagles’ job.
Apart from the aforementioned names, several top managers have been linked with the Eagles job, with former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, ex-PSG and France coach Laurent Blanc, former PSV Eindhoven manager Phillip Cocu and former Sampdoria and Cagliari manager Walter Zenga, all touted as possible candidates for the vacant Eagles head coach position.
The Nigeria Football Federation, in December 2021, in a statement from its media team titled ‘Communique of the meeting of NFF Executive Committee’ endorsed Portuguese Peseiro following the termination of Gernot Rohr’s contract earlier in the month.
“After careful consideration of a memo presented by Chairman of the Technical and Development Sub-Committee, the Executive Committee endorsed a proposal for the appointment of Mr Jose Peseiro as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, following the end to the relationship with Mr Gernot Rohr,” the statement read in part.
“However, the committee resolved that Mr. Augustine Eguavoen, named the interim Head Coach, will lead the Super Eagles to AFCON 2021 in Cameroon with Mr. Peseiro only playing the role of Observer.”
There was however a twist as Eguavoen remained in charge of the Eagles for the World Cup final play-offs which Nigeria lost to Ghana on goal aggregate.
Meanwhile, an official of the ministry confirmed to PUNCH Sports Extra on Monday that Peseiro, who in February said he never told the NFF that he would take over the Eagles job, is now the man leading the race for the vacant position.
The minister has insisted on a fairground for all coaches that apply for the Eagles,” the source said.
“Four coaches are in the running for the job and they are Mark Wotte, Philip Cocu, Adel Amrouche, and the man in the mirror of everybody, Peseiro.”
There are reports that several coaches who applied for the Eagles job are demanding for $55,000 with one of them even asking to be paid $250,000 a month.
The reports added that Peseiro is willing to accept $50,000.
Punch Mobile
