By Emeka Obasi
Dr. Felix Owolabi Akinloye won the African Nations Cup with the Green Eagles in 1980. He lifted the first CAF Cup with Shooting Stars in 1992. Celebrations mean so much to him and he was set to cap his 69th birthday on November 24 with a party for the Super Eagles.
It should have been double celebrations because Owolabi was sure Nigeria would ride smooth over Lesotho and zoom past Zimbabwe. That did not happen. Jose Peseiro and his Eagles were lucky to escape defeat in the two games, without getting more than a 1-1 draw.
At the end of the zero level game with the Warriors of Zimbabwe, I wanted Owoblow to rate the Super Eagles manager, given his lowly performance since he was employed in May 2022 following the disengament of Austin Eguavoen.
Owolabi said : "I cannot love Peseiro when he is not making me happy. I thought I was going to use the Zimbabwean game, with victory assured, to celebrate my 69th birthday on Friday November 24. I expected us to beat Lesotho too."
The former Eagles super left utility star went down memory lane to recall great contemporaries. "I can only love Peseiro if he concentrates more on the local league to give us the likes of Owoblow, Mathematical ( Segun Odegbami) and Chief Justice ( Adokiye Amiesimaka ).
" There are good footballers like Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, Vincent Enyeama, Ike Shorunmu and Victor Ikpeba and more in the Nigerian League, waiting to be discovered. Indeed, there is more to tell Nigerians but I will first consult with the football house," he added.
Author, Issa Saliman, won silver with the Green Eagles at the Algiers 1978 Third All Africa Games. He grew up in Ghana with Thompson Usiyen before relocating to Nigeria where he played and retired into coaching. He is heartbroken.
"Emeka, I am tired of our national team. There is nothing Super in that squad. The present Enugu Rangers International side will do better if they represent us," Saliman said. He lives in Ilorin and has not recovered from those shock results.
Kola Adebayo applied to coach the Eagles in 2016, he was not successful. He has managed teams in South Africa and United Arab Emirates. The gaffer played for Stationery Stores and won the Gothia Cup with the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria in 1980.
"Is Peseiro a coach or coachito," he questioned me. "The Super Eagles coach, if care is not taken, will destroy our football. The players lack tactical depth, the defence is poorly organised, so I may not blame the goalkeeper much.
"I would rather blame the other ten players for exposing their keeper. A team may not have good players but when a knowledgeable coach is saddled with responsibility, there could be a turn around."
Another Stores veteran and seasoned coach, Godwin Obinyan, added his views. " Let's have our own coaches and give them a long term programme to reshape the national teams. Samson Siasia, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, they are all available.
"We can look towards Vincent Enyeama as Goalkeepers Trainer. We must not concentrate on coaches with UEFA and CAF Licences. There are sound coaches without certificates. The NFF should assist in pushing them to Refresher courses."
Peseiro is the worst thing to have happened to modern Nigerian football. Many fans saw the emptiness in him but those at the Glass House who brought him, were more interested in employing an expatriate after Austin Eguavoen failed to qualify the Eagles to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Peseiro is nowhere near Eguavoen who won bronze with the Eagles at the Egypt 2006 African Nations Cup and played in two different World Cups, USA '94 and France '98, respectively.
Peseiro was below average as a player and did not feature in any big league. He remained in Portugal struggling from one obscure club to another until he retired in 1994 at 34 years. That was the year the Eagles were ranked Number 5 in the world.
Since May 2022, the Portuguese who flew into the country brandishing Jose Mourinho as his name sake has turned out to be a pseudo Special One. His profile is only good for a place in Yankari Bulls or Sahara Storms, not even Zabgai, Ikorodu Oga or Ohaebosim would have employed him.
His full name is Jose Vitor dos Santos Peseiro. The only Victor we know now is Osimhen, one of the best players in the world. It is strange that the Napoli hitman has someone who never played in a continental league, as his coach.
Peseiro did not follow Portugal to any World Cup, not as a junior, not as a senior. His best was taking Sporting CP to the UEFA Cup grand finale in 2005. He lost, 3-1at home, to CSKA Moscow after leading 1-0 in the first half.
Sports minister John Emoh is sleepless. Nigerians are boiling with rage. A man sacked in Greece, fired in Romania, shoved aside in the UAE, pushed away by Saudi Arabia and starved by Venezuela, is not good enough for Nigeria. Peseiro must go. NNL.
