'Ministry played a role in that employment' - Sports Minister confirms Peseiro's future will be determined after AFCON 

Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh has confirmed that the future of Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro will be determined after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Based on the pronouncement of the Sports Minister, Peseiro will be in the Nigeria dugout during the upcoming tournament in Ivory Coast amid calls in some quarters for the Portuguese football tactician to be dismissed following a poor start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. 

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.

Enoh has admitted that the Ministry of Sports Development have a say in the status of Peseiro as coach of the Super Eagles as they are involved in the payment of his salaries and agreed on a new contract with him earlier this year. 

The former Venezuela and Saudi Arabia manager accepted a pay cut to remain as coach of the senior national team, the Minister has confirmed.  

Speaking to Channels Television Sports, John Enoh stated: "I'll tell you what I met and what I have also done so far. I was given a brief when I became Minister of Sports Development about the fact that the employment of the present Super Eagles coach, the signing of the contract that took place in my predecessor's office as Minister of Youth and Sports.

"That means that the Ministry played a role in that employment. I also met a situation in which the president of the NFF and his team including the Secretary General had come to see me and talked about the fact that my predecessor had assured that the payment of the Super Eagles coach was going to be the responsibility of Government, and after about 12 months into the contract of the present coach that there were outstanding salaries that had not been paid.

"I also got involved when the contract had ended with the outstanding monies not paid to the coach and the fact that there were some discussions as to what was going to happen going forward."

The Sports Minister continued: "The meeting took place in my office with the NFF that agreed to an extension of the contract to allow the present Super Eagles coach to be able to sit as coach and take the national team to the next AFCON that is coming up middle of January and then see how well we do in that tournament before determining what then happens to his contract.

"We also got involved in renegotiating the terms of the contract because the present NFF were not at the leadership of the NFF by the time the present coach was hired and therefore were not part of the contract.

"One of the things we achieved was renegotiating the contract in terms of his salary and getting the coach to accept  a pay cut."

Last month, 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.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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