Jose Peseiro, the coach of the Super Eagles, expressed that the Nigerian senior national team is currently undergoing development and improvement.
He believes that the team’s strong determination and fighting spirit will enable them to surpass other teams in the near future.
Peseiro made these remarks following Nigeria’s hard-fought 3-2 win against Sierra Leone in Liberia on Sunday.
Despite playing on a challenging pitch, the team’s fighting spirit became evident when it appeared that the Leone Stars might cause an upset.
“We are still working on the team and by the end of the exercise, hopefully, before the Africa Cup of Nations, people will start seeing the best of the team,” he said.
At halftime, Victor Osimhen provided Nigeria with a 2-0 advantage, but shortly thereafter Sierra Leone equalized at 2-2 with late goals from Mustapha Bundu and Augustus Kargbo, creating a tense ending. Nonetheless, in a thrilling manner, Kelechi Iheanacho secured the winning goal, propelling Nigeria to qualify for Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
Peseiro praised his team’s determination and resilience, acknowledging their ability to retain a two-point lead over Guinea-Bissau, who are currently at the top of the group.
“Our team qualified. It was a hard match. Our team never gave up. We fought till the end,” Peseiro said in the post-match press conference.
“Sierra Leone did a fantastic job. In the first half, we created seven to eight clear opportunities and only scored twice in the second half.”
But, you have to win. It was a very good match.
“Our team is the best in this group. I think we did a good job today against a good team. It was a very hard match. I am very happy with my players,” he said.
