Super Eagles players, under the guidance of head coach Jose Peseiro, are focused on achieving success at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast. Peseiro, who took over the team last May, has expressed his ambition to lead Nigeria to glory, aiming to bring joy to the nation by winning the coveted trophy. Nigeria last claimed the AFCON title in 2013, under the late Stephen Keshi’s leadership. After the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup in Qatar, where the Super Eagles, managed by Austin Eguavoen, failed to qualify, Peseiro is determined to refocus the team’s efforts on becoming champions of Africa once again.
In an interview with Mirror Football, Peseiro stated, “Our ambitions when I signed the contract with Nigeria, the big goal and main goal is we want to win the next AFCON.” He acknowledged the strength of national teams that participated in the World Cup, such as Senegal, Cameroon, and Morocco, while also recognizing the quality of teams that did not qualify, including Egypt and Algeria. Peseiro is confident in the potential of his squad, saying, “I think I’ve convinced myself when I watched our national team, I know which players can play for us and I have put it in my mind that we can win the next AFCON.”
To achieve this goal, Peseiro is focused on developing the players and establishing a strong playing model. He emphasized the need to create a top-level environment to compete effectively in Africa. “For that, I try to see the players, see everybody and improve our organization, improve our facilities, improve our training, improve everything we can,” he explained. The coach has been proactive in assessing the team’s capabilities, having played matches against teams like Mexico, Portugal, and Algeria to explore offensive strategies and high-pressure play.
Recently, Peseiro traveled to England to observe several of his players in action and to engage with their club coaches. He described this trip as part of a longer-term strategy, stating, “It’s my strategy to see for myself our players in training, in practice, and it’s important I speak with the coaches, with the fitness coaches, also.” During his visit, he attended seven matches and participated in three training sessions, which allowed him to maintain contact with the players and understand their development better. He noted the value of these interactions, saying, “I had good meetings with the coaches, shared some points about our players because normally we are not with them for too much time, but the club coach works with them for more time and can advise me or speak to me with more objectivity about what they can do.”
Comments are closed for this story.