Portuguese coach José Peseiro officially announced his departure from the position of Nigeria’s national team coach this Friday. He led the team to the final of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), after taking over the role in May 2022.
“On Thursday, we concluded our contract with the Nigerian federation. It was a pride and an honor to be the coach of the Super Eagles. It was 22 months of dedication, sacrifice, emotion, and enormous enthusiasm,” he stated in a social media post.
Peseiro guided Nigeria to the final of the 2023 AFCON, which took place last month, but they were defeated in the decisive match by the host, Ivory Coast, with a score of 2-1, finishing the competition in second place.
The Portuguese coach expressed his gratitude upon his departure, with a special mention to the players.
“Boys, we are grateful. It was a privilege to be part of this family. We will miss you, but we will always be here for you, no matter what our destiny is. A big hug,” he concluded.
At 63 years old, Peseiro had previously coached the national teams of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, as well as clubs in Portugal such as Nacional, Sporting Lisbon, SC Braga, FC Porto, and Vitória de Guimarães. He also had coaching stints abroad with Panathinaikos (Greece), Al Wadha and Al Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), Al-Ahly (Egypt), and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia).
