Nigeria Head Coach José Santos Peseiro praised the Estadio 24 de Setembro pitch, saying it was superior to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. He made the comment during an interview with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) media team after the double‑header Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers between Nigeria and Guinea‑Bissau.
After a disappointing 1‑0 loss to the Wild Dogs in Abuja last Friday, the Super Eagles turned the tie around with a 1‑0 victory in Bissau on Monday, thanks to a 30th‑minute penalty from Moses Simon. In his post‑match interview, Peseiro lauded his side’s creativity but lamented their lack of goals. He noted that the turf at Guinea‑Bissau’s September 24 Stadium was better than that in Abuja, adding, “Our team is much better than Guinea‑Bissau and we created many chances in the second leg, just like the first. Also, the pitch is better than Abuja. You know our team play an offensive game, and I think we deserved to beat Guinea in both matches. We could have beaten them like 5‑1 in Abuja and maybe 5‑0 in the second leg because they didn’t create one opportunity.”
Peseiro highlighted the quality of Nigeria’s football, ball possession, and chance creation, but admitted that finishing was the weak point that needed improvement in upcoming matches. “I am happy, not because of the result, but because we played quality football with our quality players,” he said.
He also referenced the style of play under former coach Gernot Rohr, emphasizing his desire to maintain an attacking approach that pleases fans. “You try to plan an offensive game that the fans want. The last coach left because the people complained of that, so I want to play nice and beautiful football with opportunities. We have the best squad now and I think we can do better with our finishing,” Peseiro explained.
Nigeria Football Federation Secretary‑General Mohammed Sanusi, who was with the team in Bissau, assured supporters that the federation would work to improve conditions for the Super Eagles and other national teams. “It was a sweet victory. The spirit of the players, officials and everyone at home was down after the loss at home. But as professionals, we knew it wasn’t over and the players came out for business and delivered. We are also grateful to Nigerians who received us from the airport and also came out on match‑day to support us. We also thank Nigerians at home who believed in the team. We are working out logistics to improve on what was done the last time. I can assure you that very soon we will see an improved Super Eagles and other national teams,” Sanusi said.
The win over Guinea‑Bissau lifted Nigeria back to the top of Group A in the AFCON qualifiers with nine points, followed by Djurgården on seven points and Sierra Leone on five. São Tomé and Príncipe remain bottom with a single point.
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