Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, believes his time with Nigeria is destined to be successful. “I am blessed with talented strikers and midfielders, and my job is how to bring the defence at par with my strike force on time to fulfil our ambition of winning next year’s African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire,” Peseiro said in an exclusive interview with Tidesports source.
The Super Eagles have been drawn against host, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
“The main goal is to win the AFCON,” Peseiro said. “We will need to be at our maximum because we know that there is good opposition. There is Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. But we believe we can do it. I believe. And the players believe.”
The coach agrees there are challenges, saying: “The structure and organisation are not like in Europe.” Peseiro also spoke on why he agreed on a reduction in his salary so that he could stay on for the AFCON tournament. “The players pushed me to stay because they believe we can win.”
Among the weapons at Peseiro’s disposal is Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, who was with his mates in Portugal for Nigeria’s friendly game against Saudi Arabia (played last Friday) and Mozambique, last Monday.
Osimhen has been in the news recently for sad reasons: His club (Napoli) displayed a caricature of him on tiktok dragging to play a penalty kick during a recent Serie A game.
Coming from the club the same club Osimhen led to their first Scudetto in over 30 years, the video has generated so much furore that even Osimhen’s agents are threatening to drag Napoli to court.
To Peseiro, that is a very unkind cut from Napoli. “That video? From the club? From the outside it is one thing, but a video from the club, that is the worst. That cannot happen,” Peseiro told Tidesports source.
“He was sad because it is not easy for anyone. He does not understand it. He does not understand why.” Osimhen fired Napoli to their first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona. “He helps the team to the league and now they are mocking him?”
But, having spoken to Osimhen to offer support, his advice is to stay focused and not allow this treatment to impact his ambitions in the game.
“Osimhen is a star. Two years ago, he was not a star. Now, he is a star. And when you are a star, everybody wants more, more, more. The others can do badly, but if Osimhen plays badly it is different because people demand more from the players who can do more.
“It was a bad thing that Napoli did. Of course, he would prefer they do not do it. But my advice is to stay calm. Do not play against the fans. Do not lose balance. Keep the mentality. Keep the personality. That is what the very best players do. And he can be at the top.”
Meanwhile, Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Augustine Eguavoen believes the Super Eagles have the quality to win the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles last tasted success on the continent in 2013 in South Africa.
The West Africans will be looking to win a fourth AFCON title next year in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jose Peseiro’s side have been drawn in Group A with the host nation, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Eguavoen insists the Super Eagles can beat the 23 other teams to the title.
“We have been craving to try to get the Nations Cup back; since 2013 we’ve not been able to achieve that feat; we know we have the capacity, we have the quality and everything to be able to win it,” Eguavoen told Brila FM, yesterday morning.
“But to say it is easy to achieve, is another thing, so everybody has to work towards the same goal, support the team whichever way we can, support the coaches and the players have to go out there and do the job.”