Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are yet to decide if Jose Peseiro will take charge of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday, September 10.
Peseiro was appointed Super Eagles coach in May 2022, signing a short-term deal with the aim of helping the West African nation qualify for AFCON 2023 in the Ivory Coast.
The Portuguese coach has achieved his target in Nigeria with a game to spare as the three-time African champions currently sit atop of Group A with 10 points after five games.
His future as Super Eagles coach is in doubt ahead of next week’s game at the Godwill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo with the NFF giving Peseiro an ultimatum to accept a pay cut in his current $70,000 salary or be replaced within the next three days.
Chairman of NFF Technical Committee, Sheriff Rabiu Inuwa told Complete Sports: “The Technical Committee has given him [Peseiro] three days to respond to our proposed pay cut or we disengage him finally. We will allow him to continue if he accepts a reduction in his 70,000 USD monthly salary and other conditions of service.
“If he turns down our proposal, we will consider appointing a coach to oversee the dead rubber game against Sao Tome and Principe in Uyo, then we start to search for a new substantive coach that the NFF can afford to pay his salary.”
The uncertainty around Peseiro’s future has left the NFF in limbo as they are yet to announce the invited players for next Sunday’s match against Sao Tome and Principe, with training camp scheduled to open on Monday, September 4.
Should Peseiro fail to accept a pay cut, reports indicate that NFF’s Technical Director – Augustine Eguavoen who led the country to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon is among the options to take over as caretaker head coach.
