Former South Africa head coach Pitso Mosimane has refuted claims he allegedly turned down the Super Eagles coaching role, Afrosport reports.
Nigeria was in search of a new coach following the resignation of Portuguese boss Jose Peseiro. They appointed Finidi George as head coach, but the former winger resigned after a few games in charge.
Since then, the Super Eagles have been handed in interim capacity by former defender Augustine Eguavoen, who has led the team to two wins and a draw in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
However, Mosimane, who recently assumed the role of head coach for Iranian club Esteghlal last week, asserted that he was never contacted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to lead the three-time African champions.
The 60-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahli boss is one of the best coaches in the African football scene with numerous titles to his name, including three CAF Champions League and CAF Super Cup titles.
“I have to be honest I never said no [to] the Super Eagles and nobody can easily say no [to] the Super Eagles, that situation was not there,” Mosimane told IOL.
“It has to be on the table; sometimes when it’s not on the table you need not get excited and get the proper contact right and everything must be done right.”
The ex-Bafana Bafana boss added that he would have cherished the opportunity to coach the Nigerian national team.
He added: “But who would turn down the chance to coach the Super Eagles? It would have been a good one for me to be honest because I really wanted to do national team.
“Who would not want to coach that front three playing in Napoli, Milan. I mean you can’t turn that down. But it was never really on the table from the office.”
The Super Eagles currently top Group D in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers and will face crucial matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda in November’s international break.
