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Coach Peseiro receives battering for poor showing
BY EDMOND ODOK – Expectedly, heavy knocks are already raining on Coach Jose Peseiro following the disappointing showing of Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their 1-1 home draw with football minnows, Lesotho in the 2026 World Cup qualifying opener play inside the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Poor Peseiro, on a day that Nigerians were eagerly awaiting the possible roasting of an opponent, ranked a distant 153rd on the FIFA table, his wards woefully failed to show up, blundering to an unexciting draw with the Crocodiles of Lesotho that even drew first blood through Motlomelo Mkhawanazi in the 56th minute off a corner.
Semi Ajayi’s 67th-minute fine header did little to redeem the image of the 63-year-old Portuguese Coach who has so far remained an unpopular choice of football aficionados in the country despite the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s decision to extend his contract until after next year’s AFCON championship holding in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Interestingly, despite being loaded to the tilt with players currently featuring for some European sides, the Eagles’ inability to get a winner with several fruitless attempts at goal leaves them with one point in the group that also Benin Republic, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
The group winner will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the runner-up could compete in the play-off to advance to the inter-confederation playoffs. For now, the Eagles must put the disappointment behind them and turn their attention to the next fixture against the Warriors of Zimbabwe slated for Sunday, 19th November, 2023.
Before the encounter, the Super Eagles, who are ranked the 40th best team in the world, had won all three head-to-head meetings against the Southern Africans, and hopes were quite high for them to kickstart their World Cup campaign on a very bright note against the lowly placed opponents.
Predictably, Coach Peseiro has come on the firing line of critics who continue to express their utter dismay with the Eagles as a team with absolutely limited tactical plans and proficiency. A football analyst, Victor Rukkibamz, told Forefront News; “It is unfortunate that our national team under Coach Peseiro does not have any clear pattern and identity in their formation. One cannot easily identify if the team is a defensive, high-pressing, or counterattacking side
Putting the blame for Nigeria’s poor start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign squarely on Peseiro’s doorstep, he said; “For now, we have a team that lacks focus. You cannot call it a quick transition team, or one that dominates the game. How can a coach have in his starting line-up four players who thrive best centrally? You can’t achieve the needed results with four strikers running around the pitch like headless chickens.”
Another expert, Doji Bala said; “That man (Coach Peseiro) is incapable of deploying our best players for the needed results and unfortunately he keeps picking the wrong players each game, a development that leaves the team confused with limited or no formation when the going gets tough on the pitch. Tactically, he is inept and Nigerians are paying the price for NFF’s poor choice of a national team handler.”
Also, there is no hiding place for the Portuguese coach on social media. The tweets calling him out are in torrents @sala_mighty tweeted: “@thenff stop wasting our money on foreign coaches. These guys are not working for us. No one comes close to Westerhoff. The Super Eagles can do better. #FIFAWCQ2026.”
@OmoOwa_Prince: “If this is how the Super Eagles will be playing going forward, it is better we don’t even qualify for the 2026 World Cup. No team spirit, no organization, and our coach is a complete error.”
@debocares: ‘Most Nigerians/Press are not helping matters…….I will still repeat that Eguavoen is far better than this Pasuma we call the Super Eagles coach. Not style, no rhythm…..Nothing!!!”
@Collynzo1: ”Super Eagles Line up today had 4 strikers starting. Four center forwards. We can’t go anywhere like that.”
For Journalist Wale Ajayi, it was a mistake to renew the contract of the Portuguese coach, adding; “Peseiro has to go, he’s a bad coach. Renewing his contract was renewing disaster.”
Another disappointed fan lamented thus; “Like everything else in Nigeria, we’re downgrading. Went from Rohr to Peseiro. Super Eagles won’t make the World Cup again and this Nations Cup will be an embarrassment.”
However, in defence of Peseiro, a public servant, Isaac Ejiga insists the players must take responsibility for the dismal outing saying; “We ought to blame the players who did not play as if something was at stake, they played as if they were playing a friendly match.”
In his assessment of the match, a distraught Coach Peseiro blamed the draw on “bad luck” and expressed confidence that the team would make the necessary amends before the next qualifier against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, some fans are already saying that only a positive against Zimbabwe will rekindle qualification hopes for the Super Eagles given that South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will be keeping a close eye on them over the next few months, before their 3 June 2024 World Cup first leg qualifier.
