Jose Peseiro, the head coach of the Super Eagles, has revealed that after his contract with Nigeria expired in June, his players pleaded with him to take a wage reduction in order to continue leading the squad.
Peseiro took charge of the Super Eagles in May 2021, and led the team through the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers as they finished top of the group.
The 63-year-old penned a fresh short term deal with the Nigeria Football Federation, and would be in charge when the Eagles battle for the continental title next year.
Peseiro, who agreed to a pay cut, said his team urged him to take the reduced salary so they might win the AFCON.
“The players pushed me to stay because they believe we can win (the AFCON),” he told Sky Sports.
Read Also: To win AFCON, Eagles must be ready to face any team —Peseiro
“We can win it. The players know it. They come with the same energy, the same belief, to fight for the Super Eagles.”
He added: “The main goal is to win the AFCON. We will need to be at our maximum because we know that there is good opposition.
“There is Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana and Ivory Coast. But we believe we can do it. I believe. And the players believe.”
The Eagles will face hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in Group A at the tournament.
Their game against Equatorial Guinea will be their opening fixture on January 14 before ties against Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau on January 18 and January 22 respectively.