Jose Mourinho 'holds talks' with Nigeria over becoming manager for AFCON

Jose Mourinho held talks over the vacant Nigeria national team managerial position, according to the president of their football federation.

The Super Eagles are on the lookout for a new coach having sacked Gernot Rohr on the eve of next month's African Cup of Nations.

Rohr had been in charge for five years, but was dismissed after their latest fixture saw them held to a draw by Cape Verde.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) handed the head coach role to Augustine Eguavoen, but he looks unlikely be the man at the helm by the time the tournament kicks off in Cameroon in January.

NFF president Amaju Pinnick claimed they would appoint a new coach in the next week or two and appeared to suggest that Mourinho has been involved in discussions.

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"The emphasis on the new coach is discipline. We will look at his antecedents on discipline," said as per Nigerian news outlet Daily Trust.

"Secondly, we will also look at how hungry he is to win trophies because if they are hungry it supersedes so many things and if he wants to win he will instil discipline.

"We will look at all these things but I cannot make a pronouncement emphatically because I will be undermining my executive committee.

"So, until my executive committee comes out within the next week or so to say this is the name because the technical committee has to bring their presentation to the executive committee. It is going to be a seamless movement to the current team headed by Eguavoen.

"But we have spoken to three top coaches and [Jose] Peseiro, whose name has been going around, is one of the coaches and I can tell you he is a top coach."

On Mourinho, who only became Roma boss during the summer, Pinnick added: "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.

"If the coach will give us the Nations Cup, he will be drafted in immediately. I am not going to tell you that it will be later, because of what essence is the recruitment? If the executive committee says yes and we are ready, what are we waiting for?

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.

"When I spoke with one of the coaches on Tuesday, he was already scouting our players and was telling me things I didn't even know about our players.

"It was quite impressive and he told me the strength of each player and he took me off guard. We are not going to experiment and if he can win the Nations Cup, no problem."

Mourinho has hinted he will only look to step into international management once he is completely finished with the club game, with his native Portugal the most likely option.

The Special One signed a three-year contract with Roma at the end of last season and the Giallorossi find themselves in sixth in Serie A table, six points off the final Champions League spot.