After weeks of silence amidst several speculations, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has finally admitted that Super Eagles Head Coach Jose Santos Peseiro, is being owed backlog of salaries, but that efforts are on to pay him.
According to a statement by the Federation on Friday, made available to Heritage Times HT, there is no friction between NFF and the Super Eagles handler.
The NFF also said there was no plan to put together interim technical crew for the country’s senior national men team, contrary to reports making round, but not on Heritage Times HT.
The statement partly reads, “The General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has decried the speculations, innuendoes and outright falsehoods over the relationship between NFF and Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Mr. José Santos Peseiro.
“There has been considerable media frenzy over the past few days regarding Mr. Peseiro and the NFF, with a section of the media speculating that the football –governing body had gone ahead to empanel an interim coaching crew to do the job of Mr. Peseiro in the event of a breakdown in relationship.
“Most of these speculations and innuendoes are simply ridiculous, because we have no problem whatsoever with Mr. Peseiro. He is doing his job as Head Coach of the Super Eagles and, contrary to some of the more fictitious claims, he has not reported the NFF to FIFA with regards to his wages.
“I want to appeal to the media to make efforts to get their facts right before going to press. There is no need to speculate and engage in half-truths and outright falsehood in these matters. Some of these speculations and innuendoes create disharmony and disenchantment in key quarters. The NFF and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development are working on Mr. Peseiro’s wages and these will be settled shortly.
“Sanusi stated that Peseiro has been doing his work without entertaining any distractions, and has even compiled his list of players for the upcoming international friendly game with Portugal in Lisbon on 17th November.
“We have a friendly match against Portugal coming up in Lisbon on Thursday, 17th November. Mr. Peseiro has compiled a provisional list and is only waiting for this weekend’s matches to submit his list of 23 players.”
Peseiro was employed by NFF earlier this year after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Since then, the Portuguese handler is yet to be paid any of his month wages running into thousands of dollars.
