Breaking: Portuguese Jose Peseiro Named New Super Eagles Manager

Jose Peseiro has been appointed as the new manager of the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The 61-year-old Portuguese coach will take over the reins of the three-time African champions after Nigeria’s participation at the AFCON which commences on 9 January, the NFF said in a statement on Wednesday.

Interim Eagles boss Augustine Eguaveon will lead the team to Cameroon with Peseiro joining the team as an ‘observer’ before assuming control after the tournament with Eguaveon reverting to his Technical Director position, the NFF said.

Peseiro replaces Franco-German Gernot Rohr who was sacked last month after nearly six years in the role.

In a coaching career spanning nearly 30 years, the Portuguese national has coached club sides and national teams across multiple continents with his last job being in charge of the Venezuelan national team which he left in August over unpaid wages.

Peseiro has previous experience of working in Africa having coached Egyptian giants Al Ahly between October 2015 and January 2016, winning a league title.

He won the Taça da Liga with Braga in 2013 and achieved runner-up positions in the UEFA Cup with Sporting Lisbon in 2005 and the Taça de Portugal with FC Porto in 2016. He also won the Spanish Super Cup in 2002/2003 as assistant manager of Real Madrid under fellow Portuguese Carlos Queiroz.

Peseiro’s immediate priority will be to ensure Nigeria qualifies for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the Super Eagles set to take on one of Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Mali or DR Congo in the play-offs next year.