The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has delivered a firm ultimatum to Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro.
The ultimatum presents a choice: either accept a reduction in his monthly salary or step down from his role as head coach.
The NFF is tackling financial challenges head-on while striving to uphold the team’s remarkable achievements.
At present, Peseiro enjoys a monthly wage of approximately $70,000 as per his contract terms, which concluded in June 2023.
Sheriff Rabiu Inuwa, Chair of the NFF Technical Committee, illuminated the situation by revealing that;
“The Technical Committee has given him [Peseiro] three days to respond to our proposed pay cut or we disengage him finally. We will allow him to continue if he accepts a reduction in his 70,000 USD monthly salary and other conditions of service.”
The NFF’s verdict hangs on a pivotal juncture – the outcome of Peseiro’s decision.
Should he consent to the modified terms, he might retain his prestigious coaching position, acknowledging the current circumstances.
Nevertheless, if Peseiro declines the NFF’s proposition, a swift sequence of events will ensue.
“”If he turns down our proposal, we will consider appointing a coach to oversee the dead rubber game against Sao Tome and Principe in Uyo, then we start to search for a new substantive coach that the NFF can afford to pay his salary,” Inuwa outlined.
A captivating twist adds depth to the narrative: Peseiro resolutely opposes the notion of a pay reduction.
As the deadline inches closer, the looming question is whether Peseiro will heed the NFF’s call for collective sacrifice, or if the Super Eagles are on the cusp of a fresh chapter with a new leader at the helm.
In the interim, the NFF faces the task of selecting the next leader for the Sao Tome encounter.
Viable candidates include Finidi George, Salisu Yusuf, and Austin Eguaveon.
The football fraternity watches with bated breath as the ultimatum’s effects unfold and a new trajectory for Nigerian football potentially takes shape.
