Jose Peseiro: Former Nigeria Coach Explains the Difficulty of Coaching Super Eagles

• Jose Peseiro was Nigeria coach for 22 months
• He led the Super Eagles to the 2023 AFCON final
• The Portuguese coach says the Nigeria job is tough

Coaching the Nigerian national football team is a dream for most coaches.

Jose Peseiro led the Super Eagles to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time since 2013 and received critical acclaim.

However, the Portuguese coach has stated things were not always great in the role.

Peseiro's 22-month tenure as Nigeria's coach ended earlier this month after his deal with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) ended.

His conservative approach worked for the Super Eagles at the 2023 AFCON, but it backfired in the final against Ivory Coast, where they lost 2-1.

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The Portuguese tactician received criticism throughout the tournament for his tactics, although his side lost once and conceded just four goals.

Before the tournament, Peseiro's Nigeria were held to frustrating draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, results which raised concerns among the fans. The two draws have left them third in Group C.

Some were not pleased with his player selection. Promising talents were under-utilised, while experienced stars were sidelined.

Peseiro's on coaching Nigeria

The 63-year-old feels the Super Eagles' job is difficult. He highlighted the fact that Nigeria had a great performance at the 2023 AFCON, and some were not impressed.

"It’s not a job for everybody. You really don’t know what to expect at the job. One minute, you are doing well and in a flash, another person is questioning how well you are doing. We had our best AFCON performance in 11 years, but we still have people not happy about how we got there. The fans want to win everything and in style. It is a very difficult job," Peseiro said via Own Goal Nigeria.

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The NFF are yet to appoint Peseiro's successor. Although the job is exciting, the pressure will be immense.

Nsien on Nigeria role

Sports Brief earlier reported on US Under-19 coach, Michael Nsien outlining his plans for Nigeria if he replaces Jose Peseiro.

Nsien appeared to criticise Peseiro's defensive tactics, saying he would employ an attacking style against African opponents.