The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed opening talks with Portuguese Jose Peseiro over a renewal of his expired contract as the coach of the Super Eagles.
Peseiro’s $70,000 contract which he signed under the Amaju Pinnick-led administration as the gaffer of the three times AFCON winners ended in June with reports suggesting that the current NFF board is contemplating extending the contract on the same financial stand.
According to Punch’s Sports Extra, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Austin Eguavoen confirmed that Peseiro will continue handling the team when the agreement is reached.
Speaking at the end of the first FIFA Instructor’s Course held in Abuja, Nigeria on Saturday, Eguavoen who failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2022 World Cup said the Federation is laying before Peseiro new conditions for contract renewal.
“At the moment he is in charge, we are discussing in-house and we are giving him conditions as well.”
“We are flexible, so it could be suitable for both sides and once we reach common ground, why not?
“We would invite him and once we agree and we arrive at a common ground, we would be flexible and we also want him to be flexible with us.”
“Contract or no contract, he is a human being and he is still the coach of the national team as it is.
“Contract attached to whatever is not the issue for now, we will invite him as our present coach. We want to reach a common ground but if we can’t, we would also like to shake hands.
Eguavoen also emphasized that regardless of the contractual situation, Peseiro remains the coach of the national team.
“The contract issue is not the main concern at the moment. We will invite him as our current coach. We aim to find a mutually agreeable solution, but if we cannot, we will part ways amicably.”
Despite speculations linking George Finidi, Sunday Oliseh and Emmanuel Amunike as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, the contract extension talks have left many with the question of “what does the NFF want precisely?”
Under Peseiro’s guidance, the Super Eagles have already secured qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, scheduled for January, with one game to spare.