Eagles players begged me to stay – Peseiro

Jose Peseiro says his players urged him to continue as Super Eagles coach when talks of his contract renewal stalled in September, The PUNCH reports.

The Nigeria Football Federation reached an agreement with Peseiro to continue in his role as coach of the Eagles after his contract lapsed in May.

The Portuguese, who has been handed the mandate to lead the Eagles to at least the semi-finals of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast reportedly took a pay cut of $20,000 from his $70,000 monthly pay.

Peseiro’s new deal also puts him in charge of the Eagles B team.

“The players pushed me to stay because they believe we can win (the AFCON),” the 63-year-old Portuguese coach told SkySports.

“We have a chance. The players are aware of it. They come with the same intensity and belief in order to battle for the Super Eagles.”

The last time the three-time African champions won the AFCON was ten years ago.

They will face Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau in the opening round of the postponed 2023 AFCON in January 2024.

They begin their campaign against Equatorial Guinea on January 14, 2024, followed by an epic encounter against the Ivorians four days later, and their final group game against Guinea-Bissau on January 22, 2024.

Peseiro has led the squad to six wins, five defeats, and a draw since taking over in 2022, with the three-time African champions scoring 27 goals, allowing 17, and averaging 1.58 points per game throughout his tenure.