Why We Visited Mourinho – Pinnick

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, Sports News Friday, December 24th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has confirmed that the NFF held talks with Roma manager, Jose Mourinho, as they search for a new Super Eagles head coach.

Pinnick disclosed this in a media parley with sports journalists in Lagos.

The NFF boss also disclosed that the national team would get a new coach “within the next week or so”.

It could be recalled that Austin Eguavoen was appointed on an interim basis, after Gernot Rohr was sacked earlier this month.

However, the federation is in advanced negotiations to get a permanent replacement for Rohr.

“We have spoken to three top coaches. Peseiro, whose name has been going around, is one of them and I can tell you he is a top coach.

“We also talked to Mladen (Krstajic). But after talking to him, he got a job with a top club in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“They are coaches who the players cannot be bigger than. I believe we are doing everything we can and that’s why we interface with the ministry on every level.

“Of course Mourinho, I am not going to tell you we didn’t talk to Mourinho because we did and the (sports) minister also talked to Mourinho and there is nothing wrong with it,” Pinnick said.