Football enthusiasts in Owerri, Imo State, have called on the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to sack Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro.
The Super Eagles were defeated 1-0 by the Djurtus of Guinea Bissau in an AFCON qualifier played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, Friday.
The Super Eagles loss to Guinea Bissau is the fifth defeat in seven games since Peseiro took charge of the team.
An Owerri based football analyst and sports broadcaster, Mr. Simon Nwachukwu, said the Super Eagles loss to Guinea Bissau, is a clear indication that the Portuguese coach is incompetent and incapable to lead the Super Eagles.
“Peseiro lacks the technical depth to mould the enormous talents we have in the Super Eagles into a team.
“What we have in the Super Eagles are good individual talented players and not a team.
“And this is the major area Peseiro has failed to live up expectation.
“Losing five out of seven games he has been in charge of the Super Eagles shows clearly that he cannot manage this team and restore it’s glorious days.
“He is not technically competent to manage a talent endowed team like the Super Eagles.
“A very good coach who knows what he is doing would transform the Super Eagles into a winning machine, because the players in the team are very good enough.
“This is the time, the NFF should pay him his outstanding salaries and let him go” he stated.
Okechukwu Amadi, who is an owner of a football Viewing Centre, at Egbu Road, said Peseiro is a tactless coach, bereft of modern football techniques.
He faulted Peseiro’s game management techique for the match against Guinea Bissau.
He said “How can he pair Victor Osimhen, and Paul Onuachu in the attack line?
“You could see both of them (Osimhen and Onuachu) were running into each other’s lane in the game.
“Which coach would play two direct forwards at the same time, the way Peseiro did in the match against Guinea Bissau?
“I was among many Nigerians who faulted the list of players he invited for the Guinea Bissau match.
“Peseiro invited match rusty players such as Wilfred Ndidi, Jeo Aribo, Frank Onyeka, Ahmed Musa and Paul Onuachu.
“They are all struggling for game time in their various clubs.And yet Peseiro went ahead to invite them for such a crucial match.
“You could see in the match that the Djurtus were more fit, agile and physically stronger than our players” he said.
Mr Dan Okoro, a football fan, said NFF should share part of the blame by sacking Peseiro’s Assistant, Finidi George and goal keeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu, few days to the game.
“Their exit had a negative impact on the team, because it was very clear that Peseiro ran out of ideas during the match, especially after he made faulty substitutions in the second half.
“The outcome of the game is very strange, because we had in the team, Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueke, who have collectively scored about 40 goals this season in the Italian and Spanish leagues, yet the Eagles could not score a goal in the match.
“We need to overhaul the team, starting from the NFF, who also share in the blame for not paying salaries of Peseiro, Finidi and Shorunmu” he said