Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi claimed the team didn’t underrate Lesotho in Thursday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Ajayi and his teammates laboured to a 1-1 draw against the Likuena at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
The centre-back cancelled out Motlomelo Mkhwanazi’s opener for Lesotho nodding home Kelechi Iheanacho’s corner kick.
The 30-year-old claimed the Super Eagles prepared hard for the game but were let down by their poor finishing.
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“Absolutely not. We took this game very seriously; we gave our best; we didn’t take them lightly,” Ajayi said during his interaction with the media after the game.
“We prepared for the game as we prepare for every game. I think we’re just unfortunate not to take a few chances, but we’ll learn from this and we’ll definitely come back stronger in the next game.”
The Super Eagles will hope to bounce back when they take on the Warriors of Zimbabwe in their next game in the qualifiers on Sunday.
The encounter at the Huye Stadium, Butare will kick-off at 2pm Nigeria time.
By Adeboye Amosu
10 Comments
I don’t think you guys underrated Lesotho or any team for that matter.
But, what is the point of going all guns blazing without sufficient ammunition?
100 shots at 1 criminal with 100 riffles from 100 police officers only to manage a bruise on the criminal’s ankle?
Isn’t it time to change tac?
All out attack is not working guys. Even average opponents could smell your scent from a mile off.
It is getting boring seeing 40 shots at goal but only 1 goal scored. Plus you are leaking in goals in your end.
You’ve got to know when to sprint, coast, cruise and then up the ante.
The Super Eagles are way too direct. The routines up front aren’t polished enough.
Guys, well done though for giving Peseiro a chance to implement his policy but so far, it is working to plan.
@deo and those policemen must be the Nigerian police. Always missing their target but never fail to hit 50naira bribe targets lol!
I think the bad result of Super Eagles versus Lesotho happened with tow causes: frist, the selfishness of SE attackers , they didn’t give chances to other with good passes; the second cause was players urgency to score goals, this produced bad finishing on that day, this appeared in Awoniyi, Boniface, Lookman; so I recommend coach Peseiro in the coming match versus Zimbabwe to give SE attackers drastic orders to play one to one , play quick passes to others, order Iwobi and Onyeka to play through passes to Awoniyi and Boniface to score much goals, order attackers to concenterate on scoring when they have chances.
We have no business in football having Peseiro as our football coach. I am 100% sure that Ladan Bosso/Manu Garba/Fididi George/Vincent Enyeama combo can get us far beyond what any journeyman white saviour coach like Jose Peseiro can ever hope to achieve in his coaching life.
Look at little Lesotho with their squad of village football stars as compared to our multimillion dollar assemblage of galactic football stars from Europe well-oiled by a local tactician, their own native came to do to us.
A local coach that no one knows and an assembly of unknown but decent football players who believed in themselves came right inside our yard to humiliate us. The parallel is that CAR, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde had equally rubbished us in recent memory… not forgetting Sierra Leone at Benin City.
The Toad called Jose Peseiro who can’t even find job in any 3rd tier European club will surely cause us more embarrassment as long as we refuse to cut him loose. The man knows nothing with his kitten tactics of 424, same 424 that couldn’t save us against Portugal and Saudi Arabia. Mali showed us how it’s done recently against Saudi Arabia. We are on a long thing.
Jimmy, I will stop short of writing off Peseiro. At least we can see what he is trying to do but it just isn’t working yet. Will it work, I don’t know but if it does, this team will be unstoppable. I am disappointed with the outcome but vestiges of possibilities remain.
I second you on this @deo, for me peseiro team play some of the best soccer in recent SE, one thing is his team will never be over run or boring to watch, you will sure have cause to see one or two glaring scoring chances begging to be converted, he only need one or two adjustment to his tactics and listen to the fans on the GK issue, trust me if that guy play uzoho again in our next match on Sunday, then I will be completely done with him, I’m not going to ask the NFF for his sack yet.
@jimmy, all the aforementioned coaches u just are failures in that capacity except enyeama who is yet to try his prowess in coaching. Finidi has failed woefully with enyimba, he has not proven himself worthy to coach the super eagles. Manu garba and ladan bosso have failed in their respect capacities and do not have what it takes to coach the super eagles. Coaching cadet thems is not the same thing as coaching and managing senior teams. We tried it with siasia and failed. U have to remember that the super eagles is not a place meant for test running coaches’ capabilities. There is absolutely no time for that in the senior team. What we need are seasoned coaches who have proven their mettle at one point or the other at that level. If the nff does not have money, they should look for sponsorship deals from corporate bodies to assist them financially in getting a good coach from whatever part of the world. We have billionaires as well who can assist as well.
I think a Pochettino or Mourinho would serve in this case.
Yes, If they’d agree. A lot of cleansing needs to be done in the glass evil house otherwise no sane quality coach would like to work in that toxic environment except he has a thick skin like keshi and rohr. A lot needs to be done aside getting a quality coach.
Bros you still believe in Nigerian coaches, all those people you mentioned are not good coaches. Leave the coach alone, the players were selfish. Not the coach