AFCON 2023: Peseiro expresses worry, to address Eagles’ lacklustre performance

Super Eagles line-up against Cote d’Ivoire

Super Eagles’ failure to convert created chances in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations is a big worry for Coach Jose Peseiro.


In the team’s three games at the competition, they have scored only one on open play, with the other two coming from a penalty kick and an own goal.

Against Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria created enough goals to have won the game by a wide margin, but they scored only one through Victor Osimhen to settle for a 1-1 draw. The same story was the case in the games against Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea Bissau, which ended 1-0 each in Nigeria’s favour.

Speaking after the victory over Guinea Bissau, Peseiro told the media that the technical crew would address the goal scoring issue, saying the important thing is for the Eagles to continue winning.

Osimhen, who scored over 26 goals as Napoli won their first Italian title in 33 years last season, has fail to convert routine chances. But the coach is satisfied with his star striker’s over all output, saying that the goals would come in due course.

He said: “Today, we played very good football, but we missed scoring chances which is not good for us. Our striker, Victor Osimhen, was not at his best but I’m happy we are through to the next stage.”

Peseiro described the match against Guinea Bissau as a tough game, saying, “we created four opportunities, but we couldn’t convert them. But I’m still happy we progressed to the next stage.

“I believe we kept our goals for the next round; we will work on our finishing ahead of our next match.

“For the next match, if you score goals you proceed to the next round.”
Super Eagles’ defender, Calvin Bassey, had a hilarious answer to the question on the team’s failure to score goals.

He simply said: “Go and ask the midfielders and attackers because, me, I am defending. I try my own. Of course, we are working on it. You seem to have all the answers, I think we’ve done well defensively.

“When it’s 1-0 and you get to last stages of the game, teams are going to have chances, but I think we defended well and strong.”

The Super Eagles defence is among the best at the championship having conceded only one goal so far. But their resilience would be severely tested in the second round, where they may meet any of Senegal, Cameroon, or Guinea for a quarterfinal ticket.

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