'Too early to sack a coach' - Ex-Super Eagles star Duke Udi insists NFF have to stick with Peseiro

Retired Nigeria international Duke Udi has insisted that there is no point for the Nigeria Football Federation to bring in a new manager despite stakeholders calling for the head of Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro.

Although Nigeria's results in their first two matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers were far from convincing, Udi stressed that the Portuguese football tactician was unbeaten in the games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. 

The Super Eagles needed a lifeline from the unlikeliest of sources, in Rwanda, who caused a sensation by beating South Africa 2-0 to thrown Group C of the World Cup qualifiers wide open, with only two points separating the top five countries. 

Nse Essien, a Board Member of the Nigeria Football Federation, dropped a bombshell in the wake of the draw with Zimbabwe, saying that Peseiro is not capable of leading the national team and only a lack of resources is preventing him from being fired.

Udi underlined that the Super Eagles still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup and refused to rule out the possibility of the Jose Peseiro-led side performing well at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking to the BBC this week, Udi said: "If any department is not functioning then it is the problem of the team because everyone has to work together.

"It's too early to sack a coach because he drew two matches. He has not lost.

"We are still on course for both competitions (the World Cup and Nations Cup). In Ivory Coast, anything can happen."

Nigeria are back in action in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next June when the face South Africa and Benin.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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