Renowned South African coach, Pitso Mosimane, has disclosed his decision to turn down an offer to manage Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles.
Mosimane, formerly with Egypt’s Al Ahly, revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) recently approached him for the position. However, he opted against accepting the role due to ethical considerations, citing that Nigeria and South Africa are slated in the same group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
In his statement to SWANA, Mosimane mentioned the influence of former Super Eagles captain, Austine Okocha, in advocating for him to lead the Nigerian team. Despite the allure of coaching talented players like Chukwueze and Osimhen, Mosimane maintained that his loyalty to South Africa’s World Cup ambitions prevailed over professional opportunities.
“The calls were coming from Nigeria, talks were ongoing. Jay-Jay Okocha was pushing for it, he was persuasive. But considering the World Cup qualifiers grouping, it didn’t sit right ethically,” Mosimane remarked.
Acknowledging the appeal of working with exceptional talents within the Super Eagles squad, Mosimane expressed his respect for the players’ abilities on the global stage.
