Nse Essien, a member of the executive committee, stated that the Nigeria Football Federation would remove coach Jose Peseiro if they had the funds to reimburse him for his two subpar performances in World Cup qualifiers.
Following their two qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Nigeria only managed two draws, placing their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in significant risk.
Zimbabwe took the lead in the first half thanks to a straight free kick from Walter Musona, and Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho equalized halfway through the second half.
Due to the Super Eagles’ sluggish qualifying progress, Portuguese coach Peseiro has come under fire.
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“If we had the money (to pay for compensation), we will be willing to relieve him of his job, we’re not happy,” NFF member Essien told reporters.
“Everybody is asking for the sack of the head coach. It’s unfortunate that from a possible six points we only have two points. We’re in a very precarious situation,” he added.
South Africa lead Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with three points and will be expected to widen the gap on Tuesday when they visit Rwanda, while Lesotho host Benin in South Africa.
Nigeria had two points from two games but was unable to secure a spot in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Nigeria will try to make up ground when they host South Africa in the southern city of Uyo in June 2024, ahead of a challenging trip to Benin.
AFP
