Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro offered one year contract as new Super Eagles head coach

PORTUGUESE coach Jose Peseiro has been formally appointed as the new Super Eagles manager by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) with immediate effect subject to him signing an agreement in which he will be paid $70,000 a month.

Under the terms of the deal, Mr Peseiro, 62, will be allowed to bring two assistants with him on the condition that he pays them himself. This contract is for one year with the option of a 12 month extension and as part of the deal, Mr Peseiro is expected to watch 60% of Nigeria's domestic league games as part of a search for local talent.

An NFF spokesman said: "The Nigeria Football Federation on Sunday announced the appointment of Mr José Santos Peseiro as the new head coach of the senior men's national team, the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect, subject to the signing of agreed terms between the NFF and Mr Peseiro.

Mr Peseiro, who played as a striker in his days, has a lot of experience coaching top clubs and national teams across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. An educationist with a degree in physical education/sports sciences, Mr Peseiro has coached Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, Panathinaikos, Rapid Bucharest, Sporting Braga, Victoria Gumaraes, Al-Hilal, Al-Wahda, Al-Ahly Cairo, Sharjah FC and served as assistant at Real Madrid , as well as serving as the head coach of the Saudi Arabian and Venezuelan national teams.

He is expected to lead the Super Eagles out for the first time during the upcoming tour of the US during which the ream will face Mexico and Ecuador in prestige friendlies. Nigeria will tango with the El Tri at the AT & T Stadium in Dallas on Saturday May 28 before flying to New Jersey to confront Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday, June 2.

Meanwhile, the NFF has also announced that Finidi George has now replaced Salisu Yusuf as the first assistant with Mr Yusuf becoming second assistant. Usman Abdallah will be the third assistant, while Eboboritse Uwejamomere will be the match analyst and another former Nigeria international, Ike Shorounmu will be the goalkeepers’ trainer.

Sources familiar with the NFF’s recruitment process said other coaches that could have been hired for the national team were either not affordable or not available for the job. Apparently, Mr Peseiro turned out to be the cheapest option for the NFF and that was why they settled for him.