Jose Peseiro, coach in charge of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, explained that his team is preserving goals for the next stage of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
Africa Today News, New York, details that the Portuguese head coach conveyed these thoughts during a news conference on Monday in Abidjan, reflecting on the scrappy 1-0 triumph over Guinea Bissau in the concluding Group A fixture.
The coach of the Super Eagles expressed his happiness with the 1-0 win and extended congratulations to Equatorial Guinea for finishing at the top of the table.
Reflecting on the abundance of missed scoring opportunities, he emphasized that his team had deliberately reserved goals for the subsequent stages of the competition.
Peseiro clarified that he harbored no fear and paid little attention to Nigeria’s upcoming opponent in the round of 16, emphasizing his unwavering focus on each game.
‘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.’
‘I want to congratulate Equatorial Guinea for leading the group with seven points after scoring many goals. I also congratulate my team for making it to the next round.’
‘Today’s match was a tough one; we created four opportunities but we couldn’t convert them. But I’m still happy we progressed to the next stage.’
Read also: AFCON: Super Eagles Unlucky vs. Equatorial Guinea – Peseiro
‘I believe we kept our goals for the next round; we will definitely work on our finishing ahead of our next match.
“For the next match, if you score goals you proceed to the next round,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Guinea Bissau handler Baciro Candé has said that they would continue to learn after their defeat against Nigeria.
‘We will continue to learn as we played good football today. This tournament is full of surprises for all of us. This is a great competition with great learning opportunities and I believe we shall do better next time.’
‘Our first match was different from the second match and today’s match was different from our last match. I think our players should be congratulated and should be praised for their commitment and willingness to fight.’
‘In the matches we played, we showed we have a brilliant future; in three to four years, our team will be more impactful,’ he said.