Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, has charged the newly appointed coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, to lead the rebuilding of a new, strong and formidable senior national team for Nigeria
The Portuguese gaffer was officially received by the Minister at his office located inside Moshood Abiola National stadium Abuja, Wednesday.
The minister assured the coach that the new technical crew will enjoy the support of the ministry through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure the team succeeds during his time in charge of the Super Eagles.
Dare said, “For us as a ministry and the NFF, the message we want to pass emphatically to the new coach, is that this is the start of the rebuilding process. Nigeria is a football-loving nation, they love the Super Eagles and they love to win every game, even though it’s impossible. Whether it is friendly or a competitive game. Let there be consistency and discipline in our team, on and off the pitch, because it’s a critical criteria for success.
“Nigerians would want to see the hunger, aggressiveness, and the commitment in the team that you lead. If you lose, it should be done gallantly with a spirited fight. You must restore the confidence of Nigerians in the Super Eagles.”
The Minister went on to task the team to win their first game against Sierra Leone and follow it up with another good result against Sao Tome and Principe, as the Eagles kick-start their journey to Cote D’Ivoire for African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023.
Responding, coach Peseiro said his mission was to help Nigeria win the next AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire come 2023.
Peseiro said, “I came here for one goal; I want to win the next AFCON for my fantastic players and for Nigerians. I am confident because I believe in this team, I believe in the quality and the number of good players. I have followed Nigeria’s history in football from the 1994 and other successful teams and I want to bring back that joy again.”
The 62-year-old gaffer thanked the Ministry and the NFF for giving him the opportunity to work with Nigeria, reiterating Nigeria’s stance as a top footballing nation in Africa.
“Nigeria is in top five when it comes to football in Africa. I want to say appreciate the minister and the Football Federation for this opportunity to lead the national team. I will work round the clock to ensure we achieve as much success as possible and the journey starts now,” he said.
Peseiro has previously worked with top clubs such as Real Madrid, FC Porto, Braga etc.
With the Super Eagles done with the tour of U.S for prepatory games, the team will switch attentions to the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.
Nigeria will take on the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Thursday, 9th June, before travelling to Marrakech to face Sao Tome and Principe on Tuesday, 13th June, 2022
