Ex-Nigeria international, Ifeanyi Udeze, has suggested that Super Eagles technical adviser Jose Peseiro is under pressure to lead the team to victory in the first 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sierra Leone on Thursday.
Peseiro has lost the two matches he has been in charge of since his appointment in May. The Eagles lost to 2-1 Mexico in an international friendly in Texas, United States of America, last week, and another 1-0 defeat in the hands of Ecuador a few days later in New Jersey.
Four home-based players got the chance to make their debut for the Eagles in the friendlies. However, Peseiro did not include any of them in his 27-man squad invited for the clashes against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe.
Speaking with Complete Sports on Sunday, as the attention now shifts towards Nigeria’s game against the Leone Stars at the Moshood Abiola national stadium in Abuja on June 9, the former left-back states that the Portuguese is now desperate for his first win as the head coach of the national team.
The ex-West Bromwich Albion defender notesthat the 62-year-old tactician wants to make do with the foreign players to get the desired outcome, adding that it does not mean he lacks confidence in the home-based players.
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“I think for now, he just want to do with foreign-based players for now, and see, it does not mean he does not have confidence in the home-based players, but I think for now, he is under pressure, he put himself under pressure because he wants to get his first win, which will be very, very important to him,” Udeze started.
“The home-based players should just calm down, I think they will have their own opportunity also to play some games.”
Nigeria has not got the better of the Leone Stars in the last two competitive meetings. The qualifiers for the 2021 AFCON between the two countries ended 4-4 in Benin City and goalless in the reverse fixture in Freetown.
Udeze, however, expects the team to show character and hunger, particularly coming on the heels of the defeats in the friendly matches.
“I want to see character, I want to see a different approach, I want to see a situation whereby they have a different mentality; mentality to win games. That is what I’m looking forward to,” he explained.
By Femi Ashaolu
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COMMENTS
Ifeanyi Udeze and Many ex Footballers are sometimes hypocrites this Home Based players they keep singing. If they were players now and the clubs they played for they would be calls for them to be benched for home Based players. What is this Home Based craze coming out of Nigeria Nigerians need to be really careful what they wish for that Country does not have a league we can wag tongues about!. I remember not to long ago the cry was we need our international stars to start playing regularly God answered our wish, and gave us shining lights Stars in Europe. now that we have that we are calling for them to be over looked by players frm clubs who can’t even beat Djibouti clubs. what of Olisa Ndah who played a CAF CUP Finals. there is no calls for him. What is this craze of Home base players all the time. Nigeria needs to be really careful what we wish for, because if we had no European stars What will our team look like and who will we be competing with internationally is it Home based players that embarrassed us against Mexico 4 – 0 loss. NIGERIANS NEEDS TO BE REALLY CAREFUL WHAT WE WISH FOR!!!> GET THE LEAGUE UP TO SCRATCH FOR GOD SAKE AND STOP THIS UNECESSARY HOME BASED PLAYERS DEBATE THEY ARE USELESS AS OF NOW PERIODT
We have good home Based players but they won’t invite them rather they will invite rubbish ones
I’m afraid none is good enough for the super eagles.
If you want to remain one of the best in Africa and competing with the best teams in the world you need your best legs who ply their trade in the best leagues in the world to achieve that,and from my understanding the Nigerian league is nowhere near that category.
Anybody who is talking about home base player in Nigeria don’t know what’s happening in Nigeria league. Politics aside. Our league is not good. They should organise the league like before Eyinmba carry continental truphy with obinna nwaneri and Vincent Eyema. Ameka nwanna. So I don’t support inviting home base players in super eagles.