Peseiro: Let Him Go Please – By Frank Ofili

Jose Peseiro may get all the accolades for all I care.

Algerian may want him for all I care.

Zambia may want him for all I care.

Al Ahly may want him all I care.

In short, even Manchester United may want him for all I care.

But…. As far as I am concerned, he is not a great coach.

A coach who goes to a tournament like the AFCON with only one tactic, one formation, one strategy, is not a great one to me.

A coach who brought predictability to his team is not a great one to me. Forget Super Eagles poor performances before the arrival of Peseiro. Those are not the standards to judge the team.

A coach who consigned his only ball carrier to the defensive midfield role is not a great one to me. Little wonder the team was rigid, frigid, timid and lacked flair and creativity. If not for Osimhen who practically imposed himself on both the team and the opponents….it would have been a different story. And eventually, it was a different story in the final match. Ivory Coast finally saw through Peseiro’s tactics-less tactics.

A coach who could not find one good local boy is not a great one to me

A coach who was practically forced to give a Nwabali a look in even with all the howlers of his preferred choice, Uzoho, is not great one to me.

Peseiro is too rigid. His feat at the last AFCON was because of the boys, not necessarily because of his ingenuity. Or savvy. The boys were determined. They made Peseiro look good. He is not.

So what is all the Peseiro-feting about? We had two local coaches who achieved better with the Super Eagles than what Peseiro achieved.

Coach Adegboye Onigbinde won silver in the 1984 Africa Nations Cup with almost one hundred percent local boys. Stephen Keshi won it with the Super Eagles 11 years ago with six local boys in the team. Both were not given as much encouragement and support as was given to Peseiro.

So what is the big deal about Peseiro winning silver that we no go hear word again? Abeg make him go jare! Arab Contractor!