By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria’s minister of sports, Sunday Dare have approved the appointment of a serial Portuguese failure, Jose Peseiro as the new Super Eagles Coach, bestchoicesports.com.ng understands

This is coming less than 24 hours after the Federal Government, though the sports ministry placed a two-year ban on Nigeria Basketball from participating in international competitions.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF reportedly picked Peseiro to replace Gernot Rohr as the substantive Technical Adviser of the there-time Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON champions ahead of three other candidates.

Peseiro’s choice have however raised eye brow after it was reported that he came 3rd among the three foreign coaches interviews by the NFF.

The Sports Ministry led by Sunday Dare, according to several reports, however queried the procedures used by the NFF in selecting the Portuguese.

Frenchman Laurent Blanc, former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde and erstwhile Netherlands defender Philip Cocu are the three other contenders for the post.

Completesports scooped that the sports ministry has now approved Peseiro’s appointment after talks with the NFF.

Details of Peseiro’s contract including paperworks are almost done and an announcement is expected to be made soon.

The 62-year-old was first announced by the NFF to take over the Super Eagles after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Peseiro eventually did not take up the job after Augustine Eguavoen’s temporary appointment was extended to cover the ill-fated 2022 World Cup playoffs against the Black Stars of Ghana

The Portuguese last managed the Venezuelan national team. He has previously handled Egyptian club Al Ahly, his only managerial experience in Africa.

It remain to be seen if Peseiro will take charge of the Super Eagles for their friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador.

First assistant coach Salisu Yusuf released a 30-man list for the friendlies on Tuesday. The friendlies will take place in the United States of America late May and early June.

The Super Eagles are also scheduled to take on Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier next month.

Peseiro’s Unstable Managerial Career

• Peseiro spent his first eight years as a manager in the third and fourth tiers of Portuguese football, starting out as a player-coach at his last team. In summer 1999 he was appointed at C.D. Nacional, which he helped promote to the Primeira Liga in just three seasons.[4] In 2002–03, he led the team to a final 11th position.

In 2003–04, Peseiro assisted Carlos Queiroz at Real Madrid.[5] At the end of the campaign, after the team lost a considerable advantage on the table to be finally surpassed by Valencia CF, FC Barcelona and Deportivo de La Coruña, the pair was sacked.

• In the 2007 off-season, Peseiro was named manager of Panathinaikos FC. After failing to win the Super League Greece and also losing 4–0 to neighbouring Olympiacos F.C. in the domestic cup, he was forced to step down.

In June 2008, Peseiro signed a three-year contract with Romanian club FC Rapid București. On 2 October, after being eliminated from the UEFA Cup by VfL Wolfsburg, he was sacked only to be reinstated a few days later; he eventually resigned on 12 January 2009, after failing to agree on a new deal.

Peseiro succeeded Nasser Al-Johar at the helm of the Saudi Arabian national team in 2009, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. His first game occurred on 28 March, and it ended with a 2–1 away win over Iran which was the former’s first ever victory in that country and the latter’s first loss in nearly 40 home games; eventually, the nation failed to reach the finals in South Africa, and on 10 January 2011 he was relieved of his duties after losing the first game in the AFC Asian Cup against Syria

• From 11 November 2013 to 11 January 2015, Peseiro worked with Al Wahda FC in the UAE Pro League. On 9 October of the latter year, Al Ahly SC announced his signing; upon hearing the news, fans of the latter protested against the decision based on his weak résumé
• On 18 January 2016, after cutting ties with the Egyptian side, Peseiro replaced Julen Lopetegui at FC Porto. Even though the third position the team occupied at the time of the Spaniard’s dismissal was still secured, he collected more losses than his predecessor,
  and also lost the final of the Taça de Portugal to former team Braga, on penalties

On 6 June 2016, Peseiro signed a two-year deal with precisely Braga. On 14 December, following consecutive home defeats that resulted in elimination from the Europa League and the Portuguese Cup, respectively at the hands of FC Shakhtar Donetsk (2–4) and S.C. Covilhã (1–2), he was fired.

• Peseiro returned to the UAE in January 2017 with Sharjah FC, and was sacked nine months later after a poor start to the new season. The following February, he went home to sign a contract at Vitória S.C. until June 2019, which he rescinded by mutual agreement a year early

In July 2018, Peseiro returned to Sporting after 13 years away, assuming the reins at a club that had lost several key players following fan violence and whose previous manager Siniša Mihajlović lasted nine days in the job. On 1 November, following poor overall performances and a 1–2 home loss against G.D. Estoril Praia for the group stage of the Taça da Liga, he was relieved of his duties