Harrison Jalla, the Chairman, Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria Task Force, has slammed Super Eagles’ Coach, Jose Peseiro, over the dismal performance of the team against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday that the Eagles’ performance marked another inglorious journey with Peseiro.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by Lesotho in a Group C Match Day 1 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Thursday.
Jalla said: “It was, indeed, a dismal performance by the Super Eagles against Lesotho under the watch of coach Peseiro.
“This is a clear indication that Nigeria will be bundled out of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and may not qualify for 2026 World cup if Peseiro is not sacked immediately.”
The PFAN Task force boss noted that Peseiro was a baggage inherited from the immediate past Nigeria Football Federation Board.
He questioned what was there to emulate or carry over from a Board that, according to him, failed in all ramifications.
Jalla added: “Before the emergence of the Ibrahim Gusau led NFF Board, Coach Peseiro had shown Nigerians through his woeful performances that he had no capacity to thinker a brand like the Super Eagles.
“How did Gusau and his Board arrive at the decision to retain Jose Paseiro?
“When are we going to wipe out this mental slavery of ‘it must be a European?’
“What can this Portuguese coach offer the Super Eagles?”
Jalla recalled that other African countries like Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Cameroon showcased their indigenous coaches at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and wondered why Nigeria could not emulate such a gesture.
He stressed that Nigeria must be proud of what it had and engage indigenous coaches instead of relying on foreign coaches who had failed on several occasions.
He said: “What is wrong in engaging coaches like Emmanuel Amunike, Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George and some of the legions of ex-internationals we have?
“We can invest in their training and retraining, using a fund already provided for through the streams of FIFA funding.
“Coach Stephen Keshi of blessed memory has proved that an indigenous coach can win the African Nations Cup and even go beyond the second round of the World Cup.”
Jalla argued that a responsible football federation would have built on Keshi’s legacy moving forward, adding that the hiring of Coaches Gernot Rohr and Peseiro was a huge setback to Nigeria Football.
He said: “Enough of the emotional trauma, harrowing experience and pains to Nigerians occasioned by the irresponsible leadership of the NFF.
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“The Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF must sack Peseiro now.
“It is better to grow with our own indigenous coaches than wasting $70,000 monthly on a coach whose stock in trade is to bring sorrow and pains to Nigerians in every game.”
The Super Eagles will trade tackles with the Warriors of Zimbabwe in their second group game of the 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Huye Stadium in Rwanda on Sunday.
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