The former head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has lamented the absence of one player, who he felt would have made the difference for his team at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Nigeria were beaten 1-3 by the host in the final denying them the chance of lifting the title for the third time in the history of the tournament. The defeat is still fresh in the heart of Peseiro.

Peseiro who announced the expiration of his deal as coach of the Nigerian team at the end of last month will not keep his post after rejecting the contract extension deal offered to him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Reflecting on his time as the coach of the team with the AFCON, which was the only tournament he led the team to, the Portuguese coach said his options became limited in attack when he lost the chance to unleash Victor Boniface at the tournament.

Boniface made his debut for the team after an extra ordinary start to life in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, the team he joined in the summer from Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise. His ten goals and seven assists is largely why they currently have a ten points lead over league champions Bayern Munich.

However an adductor injury stopped him from transferring his form to the African continent, much to the disappointment of Peseiro who said he had him in mind as his joker in the build up to the tournament.

” I will say Boniface would have made the difference if not for injury. He was high on confidence and can play in our two man attack style comfortably. He can also play on either side of the forwards and that would have made him our unseen bow at the tournament. Our options to tweak our style was limited in his absence”, the coach said in a TV interview in Portugal.

Osas Mahawi

The father of highly rated Wolverhampton Wanderers 15 year old defender Wesley Okoduwa has voiced out his preferred senior national team for his son, who recently made the bench of the senior side in their English Premier League game against Newcastle United.

Born in the United States, Wesley inherited the passion his father Emmanuel has for the game and hasn’t looked out of place so far in the academy set up of Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he made the step up to the U21s at the age of 15.

Although he has been capped by England at U16 level, his father who played for Nigeria at U23 level and also had one cap at senior level during his playing days says he prefers his son to play for the Super Eagles in the future.

Okoduwa who was famed for his exploits in Ukraine made this known in an interview with Andrew Randa published on Afrik-Foot ng.

“If you ask me if I want him to represent Nigeria then I’d definitely say yes but ultimately the choice is with him.

“When the time comes he will pick where his international future lies but as a father, I want him to play for Nigeria just like I did.

“Wes has done well for himself, and I am proud of him. His call-up by England made me particularly happy, considering my own international career with Nigeria.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The recently released list of players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for their upcoming international friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively has led to questions about who was responsible for the players called up, considering that the team is presently without a substantive coach.

26 players largely made up of players who were at the Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished as runners up losing 1-2 to the host Cote d’Ivoire in the final, and players who have been a part of the team.

Only two new players were called up in Benjamin Tanimu and Gabriel Osho. It has left many wondering on who picked the players with Jose Peseiro no longer at the helm following the expiration of his contract as coach of the team last month.

OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that the list was compiled by Peseiro for the friendly game against Argentina, which was later cancelled due to logistics. He submitted the list while talks were ongoing about extending his deal.

A deadlock in the talks coincided with the deadline in informing the clubs of the invited players, leaving the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with no option but to stick with the list for the games, which was made public on Saturday.

In Peseiro’s absence there is still no clarity on who will lead the team with three coaches namely Austine Eguavoen, who is the technical director of the team or Emmanuel Amuneke who is the leading candidate for the role.

However, Peseiro’s assistant Finidi has emerged as the most likeliest to lead the team with many of the senior players in the team throwing their weight behind the coach of Enyimba.

In their words Finidi has been a part of the setup with Peseiro and understands the players and the conditions around, hence won’t need much time to get used to them considering that they have just one window to work with whoever comes in as coach, before the resumption of the qualifiers for the 2026 world cup in June.

Their opinion has already been made known to the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who is under pressure to name another person as coach of the team, but still somehow favours a foreign coach ahead of any indigenous coach.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The recently released list of players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for their upcoming international friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively has led to questions about who was responsible for the players called up, considering that the team is presently without a substantive coach.

26 players largely made up of players who were at the Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished as runners up losing 1-2 to the host Cote d’Ivoire in the final, and players who have been a part of the team.

Only two new players were called up in Benjamin Tanimu and Gabriel Osho. It has left many wondering on who picked the players with Jose Peseiro no longer at the helm following the expiration of his contract as coach of the team last month.

OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that the list was compiled by Peseiro for the friendly game against Argentina, which was later cancelled due to logistics. He submitted the list while talks were ongoing about extending his deal.

A deadlock in the talks coincided with the deadline in informing the clubs of the invited players, leaving the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with no option but to stick with the list for the games, which was made public on Saturday.

In Peseiro’s absence there is still no clarity on who will lead the team with three coaches namely Austine Eguavoen, who is the technical director of the team or Emmanuel Amuneke who is the leading candidate for the role.

However, Peseiro’s assistant Finidi has emerged as the most likeliest to lead the team with many of the senior players in the team throwing their weight behind the coach of Enyimba.

In their words Finidi has been a part of the setup with Peseiro and understands the players and the conditions around, hence won’t need much time to get used to them considering that they have just one window to work with whoever comes in as coach, before the resumption of the qualifiers for the 2026 world cup in June.

Their opinion has already been made known to the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who is under pressure to name another person as coach of the team, but still somehow favours a foreign coach ahead of any indigenous coach.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

As Nigeria continue the search for a new coach of the senior national team, players of the team have voiced out on who they think is best to lead the team following the departure of Jose Peseiro as coach of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Peseiro left his post as the coach of the team following the expiration of his deal and the inability to reach an agreement on extending his deal, despite meeting the target of reaching the semi final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The team went all the way to the final where they were eventually beaten by the host Cote d’Ivoire 1-2 in the final. They will return to action later this month with two high profile games against Ghana and Mali respectively in Morocco.

Ahead of the games, players of the team have voiced their opinion over the vacant managerial position and have made it known whom they will want to take over as coach, particularly if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) insist on hiring amd indigenous coach for the team.

Six of them who spoke to OwnGoalNigeria.com on the condition of anonymity backed the present assistant coach of the team Finidi George to be elevated to the role of the head coach of the team.

In their words Finidi has been a part of the setup with Peseiro and understands the players and the conditions around, hence won’t need much time to get used to them considering that they have just one window to work with whoever comes in as coach, before the resumption of the qualifiers for the 2026 world cup in June.

Their opinion has already been made known to the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who is under pressure to name another person as coach of the team, but still somehow favours a foreign coach ahead of any indigenous coach.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The senior national team of Nigeria were beaten 1-2 by the host of the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the tournament played on the 11th of February in Abidjan, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria defeated the Ivorians 1-0 in their second group game but despite taking the lead in the final lost 1-2 late on leaving many people to criticize the approach of the Nigerian team in the game, where they defended deep and allowed the host to have more of the ball.

Looking back at the defeat, Finidi George who was one of the assistants of head coach Jose Peseiro reveals where he thinks the game was lost. “The formation has to be upgraded at every given time. Every time you are in a tournament or score a goal, you try to do something else. We have to upgrade what we have done so far,” Finidi explained.

He went further to say, “I think it is a lesson. After our goal, we defended too deep. Moving forward, we have to push that formation. We have to push it a little bit further instead of going behind. We need to go a little bit further so we don’t struggle to win games. That’s what the coach will do. He saw it, too. So we have to be better on that.”

Ade Emmanuel

As the race for who will replace Jose Peseiro as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria hots up, following the announcement by the NFF on the vacancy in the role, a lot of coaches have indicated their interest in the job, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been receiving applications from coaches since making an announcement calling for applications. The idea is to name the new coach before the friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively.

Super Eagles will take on Ghana on Friday, 22nd March while the game against Mali will be played  on Tuesday, 26th March at the same venue in the city of Marrakech. Already a list of players for the game has been made public by the NFF.

Despite that there is still no clarity on who will be on the touchline when the team play the games, and even though Austine Eguavoen who is the technical director of the football house is the favourite to lead the team, a new coach will likely be in place before the game.

One coach who has thrown his hats in the ring is the former captain of the team Sunday Oliseh, who had a seven months spell as the coach of the team between July 2015 and February 2016.

Speaking on Channels Sports handled by veteran Nigerian journalist Ken Ochonogor, Oliseh said he is open to the role if he is needed to fill in the role by the NFF. ” If Nigeria needs my services like we are doing today now with Ken I will be ready to help if the conditions are right”, he said.

However his biggest obstacle will certainly be the way his first attempt at the job ended in fiasco and so many toxic moments, which includes falling out with senior players of the team, and also later went public with the NFF before quitting his role.

Only recently, a senior player in the team back then John Obi Mikel lifted the lid on how it was working with the former Juventus midfielder, who he said became confrontational at the very first meeting with the players.

Mikel described Oliseh as “bitter”, “jealous”, and “had no respect for speaking to anybody”.

“He (Oliseh) had absolutely no clue of how a manager is. He was a fantastic guy in his playing days, but he was a terrible coach. He absolutely had no clue of what he was doing,”Mikel said in his podcast.

“The players never understood anything he was doing, and he did not know what he was doing. He was just confused because he just came in and destroyed the team togetherness.

“He was easily the worst manager I played under”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has agreed terms with a new coach who will likely be in charge of the team when they take on Ghana and Mali respectively in two high profile international friendly games in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Super Eagles will take on Ghana on Friday, 22nd March while the game against Mali will be played  on Tuesday, 26th March at the same venue in the city of Marrakech. Already a list of players for the game has been made public by the NFF.

Despite that there is still no clarity on who will be on the touchline when the team play the games, and even though Austine Eguavoen who is the technical director of the football house is the favourite to lead the team, a new coach will likely be in place before the game.

Feelers from the NFF has it that a head coach who might yet work with a foreign coach has been locked in discussion for the job, even though the NFF publicly declared the position vacant and called for submission of application for the job.

Talks were said to have advanced last week with the new coach and an agreement is said to be very close, although there is still some grey areas to sort with the coach whom we heard is an indigenous coach and a former Nigeria international.

While the NFF are leaning towards a foreign coach and will still welcome back Jose Peseiro is he has a change of heart and accept to extend his deal as coach. Some well placed individuals are driving the narrative of an indigenous coach leaving the hierarchy of the football house looking for a way to strike a compromise.

It is part of why the announcement hasn’t been made official but it will likely be before the players start arriving for the games by next week.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

As many as seven players who represented Nigeria at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire didn’t make the list of players called up to the team for upcoming international friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

African vice champions Nigeria will take on Ghana’s Black Stars and Les Aigles of Mali in two top-grade friendly matches in the Moroccan city of Marrakech later this month.

The game against Ghana will be played on Friday, 22nd March while the game against Mali will be played on the from 9pm on Tuesday, 26th March at the same venue in the city of Marrakech.

Ahead of the games, the Super Eagles who are still without a substantive coach following the expiration of the contract of head coach Jose Peseiro have list of players called up to the team for both games made public by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Seven players who were part of the team that took part at the AFCON where they were beaten 1-2 by the host Cote d’Ivoire in the final were missing in the list for the game. They include captain Ahmed Musa, Joe Aribo, Paul Onuachu and Terem Moffi with the trio of Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi and William Troost-Ekong missing through injury.

Their spots were handed to two new players in Benjamin Tanimu who is based in Tanzanian and Luton Town’s Gabriel Osho. Others who are back in the squad includes Sadiq Umar, Tyronne Ebuehi, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella , Jamilu Collins and Wilfred Ndidi.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Gabriel Osho (Luton FC, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Tyronne Ebuehi (Empoli FC, Italy); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff City, Wales); Benjamin Tianimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)

African vice champions Nigeria will take on Ghana’s Black Stars and Les Aigles of Mali in two top-grade friendly matches in the Moroccan city of Marrakech later this month.

The clash with Ghana’s Black Stars, which comes up on Friday, 22nd March, is bound to resurrect vintage memories of a 73-year rivalry involving the West African giants, dating back to October 1951 when Nigeria bounced then Gold Coast 5-0 in a Jalco Cup encounter in Lagos.

Most recently, the two teams clashed in March 2022 in a two-legged play-off for a place at that year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar, with the Black Stars edging the fixture on the away-goal rule after a 1-1 aggregate.

While Nigeria and Ghana will resume their rivalry at the Grand Stade de Marrakech as from 4pm Morocco time on 22nd March, the encounter between Nigeria and Mali will commence at the same venue as from 9pm on Tuesday, 26th March.

Nigeria have retained the bulk of the squad that finished as runners-up at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, but have recalled England-based defender Jamilu Collins, as well as Empoli FC of Italy’s Tyronne Ebuehi and Glasgow Rangers’ forward Cyriel Dessers.

Midfield enforcer Wilfred Ndidi, who missed the continental houseparty in Cote d’Ivoire returns from injury, while Bayer Leverkusen of Germany’s Nathan Tella and Turkey-based Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have fresh opportunities to stake claims to permanent shirts.

England-based defender Gabriel Osho and Tanzania-based Benjamin Tianimu are teaming up with the group for the first time.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Gabriel Osho (Luton FC, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Tyronne Ebuehi (Empoli FC, Italy); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff City, Wales); Benjamin Tianimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)