NFF president Ibrahim Gusau was clear in Abidjan that Jose Peseiro will not continue at the head of the Super Eagles even after he led the country to the AFCON final.
That means he and his executives were not taken by surprise when the Portuguese coach moved on by the end of February when his contract ran out.But did they have a succession plan in place in the event of the departure of Peseiro, which was a badly kept secret to most people.It does not appear so because the NFF are still cooking in their kitchen the perfect replacement for Peseiro more than eight weeks since the country failed to win a fourth AFCON championship.Gusau himself was very clear during his campaign for the NFF Presidency two years ago that the Super Eagles are the biggest brand of Nigeria football and their results will go a long way to determine the success or failure of an administration.
His predecessor, Amaju Pinnick, could not stand for a third term in office because the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.It is therefore of paramount importance that the country will feature at the expanded 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.Gusau should also be clear that the appointment of a new coach has taken added significance now after Peseiro could only scrape two draws in the opening two rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.The next two World Cup qualifiers in June, at home against main rivals South Africa and away in Benin, are therefore must-win for Nigeria to get their campaign back on course.It was a misstep by the NFF that the new coach was not in place for the friendlies last month in Morocco as that would have gone a long way in getting him started on the job.It was most regrettable as it was an opportunity lost.The new Super Eagles coach must therefore be worth the wait and hit the ground running when he is eventually appointed.His success or failure will also determine the fate of his bosses and, thankfully, they also know this fact.
‘Not good enough’ Onyedika hero then zero in Championship Playoffs big win
Raphael Onyedika, who a former Club Brugge coach described as not good enough, today scored for the second straight game only for him to bag a suspension thereafter. 🇧🇪 Goal: Raphael Onyedika | Club Brugge 1-0 Royal Antwerppic.twitter.com/WY8hPW0aZJ — FootColic ⚽️ (@FootColic) April 14, 2024 Onyedika opened scoring for Club Brugge against outgoing champions Antwerp … Continue reading here ▶
Super Falcons must play the best players at Olympics – Maureen Madu
Former international Maureen Madu has dismissed the debate for more home-based players to be involved with the Super Falcons leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Madu maintained that Nigeria should be represented by their best players at the Olympics, where they are drawn in a tough-looking first round against Spain, Japan and Brazil. She … Continue reading here ▶
EXCLUSIVE: Finidi out of race for new Super Eagles coach
Despite the public endorsement by former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, Finidi George is out of the reckoning for the head coach of the Super Eagles. The odds are heavily stacked against the Enyimba coach. A top official told SCORENigeria that besides not processing the requisite coaching badges, Finidi did not pass his audition after he … Continue reading here ▶
Victory party for Victor Boniface and Bayer Leverkusen today off
Victor Boniface’s Bayer Leverkusen could be crowned champions of Germany today for the first time in their 120-year existence, but midfielder Granit Xhaka warned there will not be a big victory party. Leverkusen, who also parade Super Eagles winger Nathan Tella, will make history on the back of a home win today at the BayArena … Continue reading here ▶
Super Sub Kazeem Olaigbe cancels out Arokodare in Championship Playoffs
Belgium U21 forward Kazeem Olaigbe came off the bench tonight for Cercle Brugge to cancel out Tolu Arokodare’s opener for Genk in the Belgian Championship Playoffs. 🇧🇪 Goal: Kazeem Olaigbe | KRC Genk 1-1 Cercle Bruggepic.twitter.com/nSwP3yi6IX — FootColic ⚽️ (@FootColic) April 13, 2024 Arokodare headed Genk ahead in the 18th minute for his 10th goal … Continue reading here ▶
