The Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to sack Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, with immediate effect, if it wants the country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup on the away goals rule after drawing goalless away to Ghana and playing a 1-1 draw in Abuja.
Against expectations, the Super Eagles managed to hold Lesotho to a 1-1 draw in Uyo and went to Rwanda to record another 1-1 draw with the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifying series at the weekend.
The two draws mean the Eagles have just two points from a possible six. South Africa, who play their second game of the series today against Rwanda, lead Group C on three points and if they win in Kigali today, they will open a four-point lead over the Super Eagles.
Peseiro blamed Nigeria’s poor result on fatigue, saying the players were tired after the long journey to Rwanda. “Our first half was very bad, second half was much better but we lacked energy to push for a win,” Peseiro was quoted to have said after the game.
However, the chairman of PFAN Task Force, Harrison Jalla, disagreed with Peseiro. He said: “The coach is a misfit and he is only looking for where to put the blame. The NFF has to sack him now.”
Reminded of a similar step taken against former coach Gernot Rohr, a few months to the last AFCON in Cameroon, where the Eagles crashed out in the Round of 16, Jalla said: “It is more honourable for us to fumble with our local coach than spend about $70,000 monthly on a foreign coach and get bad results. If the NFF fails to sack Peseiro now, another disaster awaits the Super Eagles at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.
“We need to take the bull by the horn before it is too late. As it is now, our qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on the line. Again, this poor result by the Super Eagles speaks volume about the quality of leadership we have at the NFF.
“There is urgent need for well-meaning Nigerians to break the monopoly of the racket going on in the NFF. We can’t continue to pick the NFF president from one constituency, which is the weakest. I have said it several times that it is suicidal to leave the decision of who becomes the NFF president in the hands of the states’ FA chairmen. Just that constituency alone and the FCT have 37 votes out of 44 votes”.
We need equal representation in the NFF, and that is the only way the private sector can come in.
“Our football is going down under the watch of Ibrahim Gusau, and Nigerians need to act fast. Gusau has to go as quickly as possible.”
