Amid poor run of results in their two opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World CupAfrican qualifiers againstLesotho and Zimbabwe,some senior Super Eaglesfear the national team has become rudderless under Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro.

The Super Eagles recorded an identical 1-1 draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe and now sit in third position behind Rwanda and South Africa in their Group C section, much to the chagrin of Nigerians.

But words are now rife within the rank and file of the national team that some players are no longer comfortable playing underPeseiro even as many now query his suitability for both the 2026 World Cup campaign and the forthcoming delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) next year in Cote dIvoire.

Take this from me, most of the Super Eagles stars especially the senior ones, are no longer happy playingunder Peseiro, a confidante of one of the players told NationSport yesterday on condition of anonymity.

He continued: It would bedifficult for any of the players to openly call for the sack of Peseiro, but the truth is thatthey are not happy playing under him. Some of themcant even believe why he would be shouting at them.

Besides, some are also not at home with his tactics and deployment of the players in matches because he is not even exploring the strengths of the team.

But a Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) chieftaintold our correspondentthe Super Eagles wouldweather the currentstormdespite the misgivings ofmany stakeholders.

While the NFF are groaningover the financial implication of firing the under-performing Peseiro, former international and national U-23 goalkeeper coach, Etta Egbe, said yesterday that the SuperEagles would continue to suffer with the Portuguese coach keeping goalkeeper Francis Uzoho as the teams number one goalkeeper.

Im still surprised that since our last match where the guy (Uzoho) embarrassed us and they still kept him there, you (Peseiro) still cant raise a better goalkeeper, Egbe lamented on Brila FM. But hes still saying he (Uzoho) remains the best; imagine a goalkeeper being beaten from 35 yards and even at my age, you cant beat mestraight away from 35 yards. (The Nation)