‘We Reserved Our Goals For AFCON Round Of 16’ – Says Super Eagles Coach, Peseiro

Nigeria’s Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro, on Monday night expressed optimism that his players were reserving their goals for the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Round of 16.

Naija News reports that Nigeria secured a narrow victory against Guinea-Bissau in their last Group State clash on Monday evening.

The Super Eagles, despite being wasteful during the match yesterday, still emerged second in Group A as Equatorial Guinea led with seven points.

During a post-match news conference in Abidjan on Monday, Peseiro shared his satisfaction with the team’s 1-0 victory over Guinea Bissau.

The Portuguese professional football manager also extended his congratulations to Equatorial Guinea for securing the top spot in the table.

Despite missing several scoring opportunities, Peseiro boasts that he was not concerned about Nigeria’s next opponent in the round of 16, as his focus remained on each game.

“Today, we played very good football, but we missed scoring chances, which is not good for us.

“Our striker, Victor Osimhen, was not at his best, but I’m happy we are through to the next stage.

“I want to congratulate Equatorial Guinea for leading the group with seven points after scoring many goals. I also congratulate my team for making it to the next round.

“Today’s match was a tough one; we created four opportunities but we couldn’t convert them. But I’m still happy we progressed to the next stage.

“I believe we kept our goals for the next round; we will definitely work on our finishing ahead of our next match.

“For the next match, if you score goals, you proceed to the next round,” the Super Eagles coach said.

Meanwhile, Guinea Bissau handler Baciro Candé has said that they would continue to learn after their defeat against Nigeria.

“We will continue to learn as we played good football today. This tournament is full of surprises for all of us. This is a great competition with great learning opportunities and I believe we shall do better next time.

“Our first match was different from the second match and today’s match was different from our last match. I think our players should be congratulated and should be praised for their commitment and willingness to fight.

“In the matches we played, we showed we have a brilliant future; in three to four years, our team will be more impactful,” he said.