The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has entered into contract extension talks with the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro, whose deal is set to expire at the end of this month, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
Peseiro met the target of getting to the semi final of the Africa Cup of Nations leading his team to the final where they were beaten 1-2 by tournament’s host Cote d’Ivoire in the final.
He has an option of extending the deal for another two years but the other year is centered on reaching the semi final of the next Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next year.
We exclusively gathered that he now wants a straight two year deal which is tied to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and another option of a deal based on their performance at the World Cup if they qualify.
Furthermore he is demanding for the salary of his first assistant Acacio Santos and also that of the new goalkeeper trainer Nuno Carrapato to be handled by the NFF, unlike the present arrangement where he pays them from his $60,000 a month pay.
Although he isn’t demanding for a pay rise, he has however seek an assurance on the regularity of his pay which wasn’t the case with his soon to expire deal. It is believed the NFF are pushing the minister for sports senator John Enoh to find a way of keeping to the arrangement that brought the coach in, which is for the federal government to pay his salary as agreed by former minister for sports Sunday Dare.
NFF are keen on reaching an agreement ahead of the possible resumption of international football in March and also tie the coach down early, with teams around the African continent also weighing up offering the Portuguese a deal to dump the Nigerian team.
Algeria are said to be the main team keen on him but ambitious Egyptian side Zamalek have stolen the march on other interested parties, by securing the option of first refusal in the event that he fails to reach an agreement on extending his stay as Super Eagles coach.
Osas Mahawi
