Nigerian legend Mutiu Adepoju believes it might be counter-productive to sack under-fire Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro, barely a month before the commencement of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Super Eagles stuttered into their 2026 World Cup qualifiers after managing draws against lowly Lesotho and Zimbabwe, putting the team on the path to a second consecutive World Cup miss.
While there was outrage in the wake of the games with many calling for Peseiro’s sack, Adepoju said with the AFCON almost here, it won’t be great to dismiss the Portuguese gaffer.
“Well, number one, I don’t know the condition or what is that condition, and I don’t want to enter into the issue of whether he should go or not. But notwithstanding, I still don’t know,” he told Soccernet.
“The AFCON is here, and with this coach now, it might not be productive, so that’s my take. It has been done earlier (the sack of Nigeria’s former coach Gernot Rohr before the 2021 AFCON) and I don’t think it might be the solution for now” he commented.”
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The Headmaster as he is foundling called also believes Nigeria’s recent poor form is down to leadership in the team. He says with the array of Nigerian players doing exploits across the globe, once the right mixture of leadership and teamwork clicks, the Super Eagles will soar.
Nigeria, winners of the tournament in 2013, are drawn in Group A of the delayed 2023 AFCON against hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.
When the competition begins early next year, the Super Eagles will be aiming to banish the memory of their round of 16 exit during the last edition of the tournament held in neighbouring Cameroon.