Sports
S’Eagles Have Potentials To Win 2024 AFCON -Peseiro
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.”
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.