The Super Eagles are beginning to show signs of the new Manager’s imprints following the display last Thursday in the 2-1 win against a stubborn Sierra Leone side and Jose Peseiro couldn’t be any prouder of his players.
Although the team showed obvious weakness in certain departments – the back and in a midfield without a proper DM – the Super Eagles ground out a win borne out of nothing short of wits and grit.
However, they could have played better; a team of 11 foreign based and in some ways high-rated professionals who were at different times on the pitch, fell behind early to a young and transitioning Leone Stars.
Regardless of the state of the playing surface of the MKO Abiola Stadium, indeed some individual players did not step up and this was the focus of Peseiro’s presser in the post-match ahead of Monday’s game against Sao Tome & Principe.
A team with such immense qualities should not leave itself exposed to be exploited by Sierra Leone and everybody mus pick up the slack, Peseiro passed that message loud and clear inside the Stade Adrar conference room, Sunday.
‘There’s a big responsibility for any Player who wears and represents the Super Eagles,’ the Portuguese trainer said.
‘To show quality when you play for the Super Eagles, the individual and collective quality must be evident.
On what the team’s main objective will be against a relatively weaker opposition that Sierra Leone, when Nigeria and Sao Tome clash, Peseiro played than on the hype.
‘First, we want to win and play, that’s our first objective. It’s easy on paper to say we have a better team. But Tomorrow (Monday) we have to show that we are better.’
Football is unpredictable; we could play and create chances and they score the important goal and win.
