- If We Continue To Play Like Today, No Team Will Beat Us — Peseiro
SOME football fans have described Super Eagles performance in their one all draw against Equatorial Guinea at the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as below par.
The second group A game played at the Alhassan Outtara Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday, saw Equatorial Guinea took the lead in the 36th minute of play after Ivan Salvador curled shot into the far corner of the Eagles net.
The three-time African champions replied two minutes later with a header from Victor Osimhen connecting from Ademola Lookman’s cross to draw level.
Efforts from the Nigerian side to snatch the maximum three points was futile as they lost numerous opportunities to convert goals.
Some fans who watched the game at a viewing centre in Aco Estate, Abuja expressed their disappointment with Eagles performance following an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
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Musa Mohammed, a non-league side football player, said he had expected the game to be an easy win for the country, following the disparity in FIFA rankings between both sides.
“Nigeria (42) are ranked way above Equatorial Guinea (88) on the table and there are lots of big names, playing in top leagues in the side, so I had expected an easy win for Eagles.
“The team fumbled with the ball. There were not clinical in front of goal, missed lots of chances especially that Osimhen’s lost opportunity in second half.
“It was an abysmal show and I hope they regroup better ahead of their other group games,” Mohammed said.
Prince Bonachristus, a Physical Health Education teacher, said the defence was not encouraging.
“The defence was frail. They couldn’t clear up their lines. The attacking department also didn’t live up to expectations.
“The team didn’t play like there was something at stake. I hope that Jose Peseiro will do a better job with the team before their next game against hosts Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
Jessica Mmuo, a student and football enthusiast said: “One point is not good enough when playing a team like Nzalang Nacional. We are way above them in football.
“I hope they go back to the drawing board and quickly correct their errors in this first game, else we should forget about winning this edition of AFCON”.
The Super Eagles will face hosts, Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire, in their second match of the competition on Thursday, January 18, 2024 in Abidjan.
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Meanwhile, Coach Jose Peseiro says if the goal-shy Super Eagles continue to play the way they did against Equatorial Guinea in Abidjan, no team will beat Nigeria at the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He said this on Sunday while reacting to the 1-1 draw with the Syli Nationale of Equatorial Guinea at the post-match conference.
The Portuguese said he was disappointed with the result of the match because he deserved nothing but the maximum three points at stake.
Worried by the wastefulness of the Eagles, the coach said he was doing everything possible in training and personally with individual players to improve their goal-scoring chances.
Asked about the status of Alhassan Abdullahi, he said the player had not been checked properly as at post-match conference but expressed the hope that his is not seriously injured.
“We have many and clear opportunities, I think we deserve to beat Guinea.
“I am sad about the result but not about the capacity of my players; no player missed a goal because he wants to miss but it is difficult sometime,” Peseiro said. NAN reports that the wasteful Eagles squandered several scoring chances against the low-rated Equatorial Guinea in Abidjan, to the surprise of its teeming home supporters. (NAN)
