Chidozie Awaziem says the Super Eagles want to take maximum points from their games against the Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Jose Peseiro’s men will open their qualifying campaign with an home fixture against the Likuena of Lesotho.
The West Africans will take on the Warriors of Zimbabwe three days later at the Huye Stadium, Butare.
Read Also:2026 WCQ: Why Beating Lesotho Is A Must For Us —Super Eagles Midfielder, Onyedika
The Super Eagles missed out on a place at the last World Cup hosted by Qatar but Awaziem claimed they are desperate to qualify for the mundial this time around.
“It was a wonderful session today. We are all preparing for the first game in the qualifiers,” Awaziem told the Super Eagles media.
“We all want to go to the World Cup, it’s our dream, Nigerians want to see us there and we are towards qualifying as well.
“We will work hard to get maximum points in these two games and then focus on the other games. All the boys are battle ready and focus on the the task ahead.”
16 Comments
One thing that is undeniable is that Peseiro has imbued his Super Eagles with a sense of discernable identity. The problem is that this identity is yet to fully deliver across several levels.
We know he uses two strikers up front. He deploys wide men with massive crossing responsibilities. His midfield might seem thin but some of their attacking and defensive duties have been outsourced to wingers. His fullbacks overlap and his goalkeeper plays out from the back.
The transition from defence to attack quick with minimal scope for intricate and complex interplay.
But the goals are yet to rain in outside the games against São Tomé and Príncipe.
Plus our opponents under Peseiro are yet to be overwhelmed.
That said, Peseiro stubbornness in sticking with his philosophy in the face of underwhelming outcomes might yet bear fruits.
Let’s wait and see in the coming games.
He qualified us for the afcon with a game to spare.
Evaluating his performances should be on official games.We have a couple coming soon so let’s see how his wards will deliver lessons learnt from professor Peseiro on thursday and sunday repectively!
Hmmmmmmm, are we going back to this qualifying us with games to spare. Have you noticed the kinds of teams we have being facing just to qualify for the AFCON. Just accept the fact that the man doesn’t have a team yet. He is still experimenting. Even in official games, what was fantastic in the team. You have winger who can’t make a simple cross, midfielders who can’t mark their opponent well. This man still got a long way to go.
Have you got sore eyes?Hahaha..Otherwise you will see professor Peseiro’s work in the team.
Meanwhile,the losses we had earlier in friendlies was because the players are adjusting to a new system but from our last engagements you could see a much improved team though not there yet,give this team another couple of months you will be amazed.
Apparently,it takes time to build a senior national team especially when you’re changing a system the players have been used to.
For all his shortcomings, I noticed some improvements in Peseiro’s SEs, an area you covered so well in your piece. My only challenge is the man’s flexibility. He seems to lack ideas on how to bring dynamism into the team. It makes his team easily predictable, and coming against a well drilled, tactically deep team might present a real problem to us.
Greenturf,
If this optimism of yours is phone credits then you will never run out of data.
Professor Peseiro, that is very generous. In the academic pyramid I will say Higher National Diploma Holder (HND) Peseiro.
You see I want Peseiro to succeed and I am really happy to at least see what he is trying to do. I respect him and think he has possesses potential properties for success.
But I will be wary of placing him on the pedestal that you afford.
He hasn’t proven to be a tactical genius. He has minimal variation of the same formation ; he concedes silly goals against average to low oppositions; his only compelling victories in Afcon qualifiers came against São Tomé and Príncipe ; he is yet to win over a large body of Nigeria fans; and his tactical methods are not delivering the goods speedily.
Professor, more like undergraduate.
But, yes, there have been positives. I think using 2 strikers up front could yet prove punchy and his wingers could come alive with deadly deliveries. But his thin midfield and insistence on Uzoho and Okoye continue to be a bugbear of very many Super Eagles fans.
A coach that is yet to win over a large section of the Fanbase can never be accorded the title of professor.
Hahaha..@deo i’m indeed very optimistic to a level my data is now unlimited!Hahaha…
In the meantime,Just like you rightly noted in your tidy script,his positives which is beginning to get visible lately gives me a lot of hope for the future,because the players are beginning to interpret the lessons better on the pitch.
Though there are grey areas noticed in the last windows however,the positives outweighed the negatives.Had the frontmen put it away,the beggging chances presented on a plate we would be singing a different song..I know the coaches takes the better of the blames and credits in a team but from our players perspective,they let the professor down especially the Saudi game,we had chances upon chances in the first half and couldn’t convert them it was so frustrating for us super eagles fans,but the positives are there you could see the handiwork of an eggghead who was behind the direct attacking approach,the attack was on rampage,there was wave and wave of attack,begging chances were created but weren’t taken everyone was gutted.
Roberto Mancini in his post match interview,confessed of super eagles relentless attacking football in the first half against his wards,we also saw that in the first half against Mozambique,the players are learning the script better.
I hope Awaziem is 100% good-to-go.
This is the first time I’m hearing from him in months; I don’t know how many people still remember that unfortunate own goal he conceded against this SAME Lesotho, in the dying embers of that away AFCON qualifying fixture that they won 4-2?
It’s the World Cup qualifiers this time around ooooooooooooooo…..No room for further calamities abeg!
I hope Bendel INSURANCE GOALKEEPER has resume to camp and participate in today’s training. Can someone in the forum please confirm. Thanks
Are you pissing self the fact Uzoho will be between the sticks on thursday?Hahaha!!
This man I don Dey suspect you with this ur uzoho support ooo, 99% Nigerian soccer lover won’t disagree on a player base on sentiment now, that dude didn’t cut it before,now and I’m not sure he still gonna cut it till thy kingdom come, he just didn’t have that flexibility that’s the core assets that makes a good GK, pesero need free that guy walahi.
Hahaha @Femi i’m just having fun,doesn’t bother me who’s selected on matchday.
Why was Torunariga excluded? Is he injured?
For all his shortcomings, I noticed some improvements in Peseiro’s SEs, an area you covered so well in your piece. My only challenge is the man’s flexibility. He seems to lack ideas on how to bring dynamism into the team. It makes his team easily predictable, and coming against a well drilled, tactically deep team might present a real problem to us.
You spoke well Papafem.
I don’t think flexibility or dynamism are the hallmark of Peseiro’s approach. It direct, plain to the eye, simple in execution and direct in approach.
Get the ball up the pitch and across the wings with as few passing routines as possible before working a variety of crosses into hostile box 18.
Peseiro will be banking on players in scoring duties to find their range and do so consistently.
At the same time he will expect Uzoho to have stitched the holes in his gloves so as to be solid in between the sticks.
Are you sure Green Turf? Don’t tell me you won’t be disappointed with Professor Peseiro if Uzoho starts.