Nigeria VS Equatorial Guinea: Peseiro swallows his words, blames Abidjan weather for performance

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has said the harsh weather condition in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire was one of the reasons his side were unable to defeat Equatorial Guinea in their opening game at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

This comes days after the Portugues said the Nigerian national team can’t use the weather as an excuse to not play exceptionally.

Peseiro’s side’s poor marksmanship cost them victory in their opening Group B tie against the Nzalang Nacional on Sunday, January 14.

The tactician further said the players need to be clinical in front of goal in subsequent games at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Victor Osimhen and Zaidu Sanusi missed good chances that would have given the three-time champions comfortable lead in the game.

The former Saudi Arabia coach hinted after the game that it is important for his team to improve on their finishing.

Peseiro said; “We deserved to win this game because we created many chances. We therefore need to improve on our finishing.

The game was played under the scorching Abidjan weather. It’s not easy to play under these conditions. We couldn’t press as we should because of the heat. We need to manage our energy.”

CorrectNG recalls that the national team arrived Abidjan in buoyant mood last Wednesday after losing 2-0 to Guinea in a friendly.

Peseiro had said during a chat with NFF TV that the Super Eagles must focus on the task ahead and not allow any form of distraction.

“We cannot give excuses about the weather; we need to put in our focus, adapt well and do our best ahead of the first match, which is very important for us,” he said.