Belgian Tactician Expresses Desire To Coach Nigeria’s Super Eagles

Belgian Tactician Expresses Desire To Coach Nigeria’s Super Eagles

Ero Samson
updated at February 13, 2024 at 11:54 AM
In this article:
CAF Africa Cup of Nations logo
CAF AFCON
Africa
Victor Osimhen logo
V. Osimhen
Napoli logoFNigeria logo
  • Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has come under fire in recent times
  • The Portuguese tactician failed to win any of Nigeria’s recent games
  • A Belgian tactician has declared his interest in the Super Eagles' job

Nigeria's Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, is facing heightened scrutiny due to a recent string of matches.

Despite facing teams ranked lower on the FIFA ranking during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the 63-year-old Portuguese coach has been unable to secure any victories.

The lacklustre performance of the African giant has raised doubts about Peseiro's ability to guide the three-time African champions to success at the African Nations Cup (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

Jose Peseiro, Super Eagles
Jose Peseiro during the friendly match between Portugal and Nigeria at Estadio Jose Alvalade. Image: Carlos Rodrigues.
Source: Getty Images

As scepticism grows among fans regarding the manager's tactical prowess and the team's disappointing displays, a Belgian tactician has expressed his interest in assuming the role of the Super Eagles manager.

Belgian tactician on Super Eagles' job

Belgian tactician Tom Saintfiet, who is currently in charge of fellow West African nation Gambia, has opened up on his interest in taking over the reins of the Super Eagles job from undefire Peseiro, according to a report from OwnGoalNigeria.

The 50-year-old Saintfiet, is with a wealth of experience from managerial stints with various teams, including in Africa, where he has managed teams including Namibia, Zimbabwe, and more recently, Gambia.

Saintfiet, who previously served as the technical director of the Nigeria national team before being dismissed, as reported by BBC, guided Gambia to the quarterfinals of the previous AFCON in 2022.

While Saintfiet has not hidden his interest in managing the Super Eagles, it must be highlighted that Nigeria's football federation has also not made any contact with the Belgian.

Nevertheless, the manager will shift his focus to leading the Gambian national team to success at the upcoming AFCON in Ivory Coast with the aim of surpassing their quarterfinal performance from the previous edition.

Serie A striker rejects Nigeria

Sports Brief in another report stated Nigerian-born Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is not willing to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations even if he gets invited to the national team by Jose Peseiro.

The 22-year-old former Bayern Munich prodigy has been strongly linked with the Super Eagles following his superb performances in the Serie A this season, where he has made nine goal contributions.

Authors
Ero Samson photo
Ero Samson
Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over five years in the Nigerian media industry. He graduated from Nigerian Institute of Journalism (2021-2023).
Tags
World