Super Eagles Manager, José Peseiro, believes his team is capable of scoring more goals from the chances created in the games of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Urging his wards to be more clinical in front of goal, Peseiro said, yesterday, that his team creates the weapons to win their matches comfortably.
While the Super Eagles have found goal scoring a bit difficult at the ongoing AFCON, their defence has been very frugal, with Friday’s 1-0 defeat of Angola their fourth straight clean sheet at the competition.
Quietly and without fanfare, Nigeria is advancing in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 with a clash with South Africa tomorrow. The coach and his players are now two matches away from a fourth triumph for Nigeria.
While praising Nigeria’s defensive solidity, Peseiro hopes to see improvements in attack.
“Once again, we played without conceding, and scored a goal, but I would have liked more. The team could have created more opportunities,” he said.
With just six goals scored in five games, the Portuguese feels Nigeria aren’t capitalising on their quality.
“We are a quality team, Angola was very good, but we had more luck. I remain satisfied with my players but want us to be more efficient,” Peseiro added.
He admitted that chance creation hasn’t been helped by injury absences, saying: “We’re missing some key creators like Iheanacho and Aribo, so it’s been hard. But others must now step up.”
As Nigeria chase a fourth AFCON crown, Peseiro knows finding a clinical edge could be decisive.
A victory against South Africa tomorrow at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké would bring them closer to this important goal.
The Super Eagles have ground-out results thanks to their miserly defence. But should they rediscover their scoring touch, Peseiro may yet lead Nigeria back to the pinnacle of African football.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles and Napoli top striker Victor Osimhen missed the Super Eagles’ trip to Bouake on Monday night ahead of their 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final game against South Africa.
According to a statement on the Super Eagles’ X handle, members of the team traveled from Abidjan to Bouaké via a 10pm Air Cote D’Ivoire flight.
“Victor Osimhen did not, however, make the trip as a result of an abdominal discomfort,” the statement read.
Medics confirmed that he has been placed under close watch with a member of the medical team staying behind in Abidjan with him.
If cleared by tomorrow morning, the reigning African Footballer of the year will join the rest of the squad before 5pm.
Osimhen has so failed to find his scoring touch at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast with the striker netting only one goal.
That was when the Super Eagles’ played out a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in their group A opener back on January 14.
The Napoli striker has, however, been very useful for Nigeria in the attack and will aim to add to his goal tally against South Africa on Wednesday.
