Nigeria national team manager Jose Peseiro recalled his time with the Red Devils while sharing his thoughts on Egypt journey in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Peseiro took charge of Al Ahly back in 2016, but he quickly parted ways with Cairo giants after only 12 games as head coach.
Shortly after leaving Egypt, the Portuguese returned to his hometown, taking a job as FC Porto head coach, however; he was dismissed from his position in only four months.
After leaving Porto, Peseiro moved between multiple jobs, coaching both clubs and national teams, ending up in Nigeria as he was recently appointed as the new national team head coach.
Despite the official reveal, Peseiro hasn’t led the Super Eagles in any official games yet, as interim coach Augustine Eguavoen was in charge during the Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement he made to an Egyptian TV channel, Peseiro showed regret for leaving Al Ahly so soon, claiming that he should have stayed more time.
“I thought about staying with Al Ahly, it was my decision, but I wanted to coach Porto, it’s a great team with amazing players, and they insisted on making me the club’s head coach,” Peseiro said.
“It was better for me to stay for another season with Al Ahly, leaving was a huge mistake.
“I miss the time I spent in Al Ahly, I wish I could have spent more time with them, it’s a great team with amazing players. They can even improve their Club World Cup placing.”
After that, The Portuguese coach shared his thoughts on the Africa Cup of Nations, speaking on both Nigeria and Egypt journeys.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is a very strong competition between strong teams, including Nigeria, who were the best in the group stage, but after all, the four strongest teams throughout the tournament have reached the semi-finals,” the 61-year-old said.
“Egypt didn’t do well against Nigeria, but after that, they showed their true abilities, their players gave a great performance against Morocco, they have what it takes to win the tournament.
“Egypt vs Cameroon will be an amazing game, Cameroon are hosts, they have that advantage, but as you know, Egypt have a very strong team as well.
“The team that makes fewer mistakes will win the game. I hope Egypt can put on a great show, like the one they put on the quarter-finals.
“Egypt have an organized team, Queiroz is doing well with the team, they are improving from one game to the next.
“When you have a superstar like Mohamed Salah on your team, you have to talk to him, he should be your way to establish a connection with the other players, especially when he’s the national team captain.”
