Report: Super Eagles to likely get new coach as NFF open conversations with Adrian Mutu
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Adrian Mutu

Report: Super Eagles to likely get new coach as NFF open conversations with Adrian Mutu

Jidechi Chidiezie 16:19 - 19.05.2023

The contract of current Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro is to expire in June this year.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) are reportedly meeting with the representatives of former Romanian football star Adrian Mutu, as a part of plans to succeed current Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro.

Since retiring from a professional playing career that saw him feature for the likes of Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Parma and Ajaccio, the Romanian has served as an assistant coach, a club general manager, a sporting director and a head coach.

Peseiro reportedly being denied new Super Eagles contract

With a contract expiring in June 2023, the Super Eagles could see its current head coach Jose Peseiro leave his position, following suggestions that he would not be offered a contract extension by the NFF.

Jose Peseiro
Jose Peseiro

Peseiro, however, is expected to remain in charge of Nigeria's senior men's football national team for the final two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Sierra Leone in June, and Sao Tome and Principe later in September.

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Since taking over as head coach of the Super Eagles in May 2022, Nigeria have struggled to mark improvements, with the team winning three, and losing six of their nine matches under the Portuguese.

Most notable of Peseiro's achievements with the Super Eagles would be leading the team to its highest-scoring fixture in history, pummeling Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in an AFCON qualifier in June 2022.

Mutu, leading candidate to replace Peseiro

As initially reported by OGN, the NFF are looking to bring in either one of former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane or Mutu who has been at the helm of six-time Romanian champions Rapid Bucuresti, since March 2022.

Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu

Further reports according to NSM media's Wale Ajayi suggest that Mutu’s representatives are already in Nigeria and are actively pursuing a verbal agreement with the NFF.

Mutu led Rapid to a 9th-place finish in the 2021/22 season of the Romanian Superliga, winning seven of the 10 matches he oversaw.

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