Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has warned his players they must be at their best against Sao Tome and Principe in Monday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiying fixture, reports Completesports.com.
The three-time African champions will face the Falcons at the Adrar Stadium, Agadir in their matchday two encounter.
Read Also: 2023 AFCONQ: Bonke Ruled Out Of Super Eagles Vs Sao Tome Clash
Sao Tome and Principe were thrashed 5-1 by the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau in their opening Group A fixture on Thursday.
Many have predicted that the Super Eagles will have things easy against the Falcons, but Peseiro has challenge his players not to underrate their opponent.
“Sao Tome have good players in their team. We saw their last game, even though they lost, but didn’t do too badly. We respect them. It’s good to respect your opponent in football,” Peseiro told a press conference on Sunday
“We need to be at our best to beat them. We have to show strong desire and determination.”
Peseiro’s charges edged out Sierra Leone 2-1 in their first game in the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles wasted a number of goal scoring chances in the game.
Read Also: 2023 AFCONQ: Eagles Arrive Morocco Ahead São Tomé Clash; To Hold Official Training Sunday Evening
The Portuguese maintained what is important is for his team win their games even if they don’t score too many goals.
“We don’t think about 1-0, 2-0 or 5-0 we want to win, we want to score, we want to play well and we don’t want to concede a goal,”Peseiro added.
By Adeboye Amosu
9 Comments
I don’t agree with those who claim Nigerian players are average I would say that Nigeria’s tactical style is below average. Countries such as Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, USA, Mexico have a total player valuation on the same level as Nigeria – if we use our player’s market value as a metric of team quality.
I don’t agree about Iwobi: he does not take the attacking initiative as often as his role and seniority merits. He is an attacking midfielder CAM for the SE, yet he does not orchestrate the attack by carrying the ball forward or quickening the pace of attack, he plays lazy passes to the attackers that are easily intercepted, and he does just enough to maintain his place; Aribo is a jack of all trades that has settled for the easy role of a tackling ball winner with little attacking initiative, in no way does he qualify as a playmaking number 10.
The Nigerian midfield in attack lacks intensity and in possession-transition readily loses the attacking initiative by playing back passes. The Nigerian right-wing is even worse, all goals against us have come from our right either thru shots or crosses, and until the recent Sierra Leone match the right-wing has had no goal assists in 10 matches.
Collectively team football is like boxing, where you attack an opponent when they become unbalanced by losing the attacking initiative. When a boxer misses a punch, the weight of his momentum unbalances him, that is the moment his opponent should attack with intensity.
Similarly in football, the moment a team loses possession it becomes unbalanced by the momentum and player positions of its forward attacking intent, and before it can recover by adopting a defensive formation (in boxing; putting up its guard) you attack with intensity.
The part of the team that initiates attacking intent and regulates attacking intensity is the midfield. Iwobi and Aribo have not been up to this job.
Iwobi has improved recently by combining with Simon to penetrate the penalty area, but Aribo is hiding.
His fans tell us that he is tired from the number of games he has played but he is clearly playing out of position – he is no number 10 playmaker, he is no box to box player and he’s no defensive midfielder – and while he commendably contributes in pressing and tackling, his recent contribution to the Eagles attack is zero.
Why is he playing at central midfield? He would be better deployed replacing Chukwueze on the right where his crossing, tackling and running ability can be effectively employed. He is also not trusted by Ekong because the latter frequently bypasses Aribo in midfield when playing out from defence, whereas a true number 10 would be the conduit and fulcrum of any transition from defence to attack.
His statistics for goal assists in the last 10 goals is one – against Egypt, his participation in play sequences that lead to goals is one in the last 10 goals, his contribution to near-goal scoring opportunities is zero, his shots on target is zero – last single shot at goal in 10 matches was off-target in Kumasi against Ghana. I would like to obtain stats on his progressive passes per game and his participation through number of tackles in turnovers where possession is gained. From what I’ve seen I don’t expect to be impressed.
Then there is the culture and attitude of the team; when you have a sitting captain (literally sitting) Musa who has not played a full match in 2 years and is being carried by the squad, it creates a reactionary attitude.
Why should Moses Simon bust his ass for the SE when others re: their captain, are doing nothing and being selected? Why also should Iwobi? And the newcomers into the squad quickly lose their passion and zeal when they realize they are risking injury for little gain as team selection is not merit-based.
Look at Moses Simon, the moment everyone starts criticizing him and he’s in danger of losing his place, in the next match Moses Simon will dazzle everyone with his football brilliance! After that, for the next 10 matches, Moses Simon would do absolutely nothing until the abuse starts falling on him again. Same thing Iwobi and Chukwueze.
This type of behavior in Labor relations is called work-to-rule and is a form of protest. Where does this behavioural attitude come from? It comes from the squad because there is a rotten apple in it. That apple is Musa.
At your work would you ‘bust your ass’ for your employer if you had a senior colleague or supervisor who has not done a full day’s work in 2 years? Would others not take advantage of such an employer?
We don’t need our elders to tell us, If the baboon says he’s too important to work that the monkeys will also refuse to perform.
The Nigerian rallying call is always a ‘call to discipline’, I would amend this for football to a ‘call to professionalism’. The top professional players take their careers very seriously. Arnaut Danjuma a Villarreal striker has his own personal staff of fitness and skills coach as well nutritionist and psychologist. Every aspect of his game is examined and improved upon by his personal staff, he doesn’t depend on a coach or his club to improve his skills because he’s a professional. Many players lack this type of professionalism.
For those who disapprove I’m not a wicked person or someone out to destroy others or a sponsor of any player, my belief is that this team is not playing any where near its potential and someone must point out these facts backed by game statistics no matter whose ox is gored.
What we have are players that showboat to impress their personal fans but are not making statistically significant contributions to the team, and coaches who’ve in the past ignored glaring lapses either out of incompetence or in return for a steady dollar pay check.
All these are the tasks for the new coach, but right now it is as if a devilish spirit is choosing the team, not a coach.
Is there a way to like this 1,000 times great and critical analysis.
I pity you. They will soon call you a weak coach for not bragging that you will whip Sao Tome silly…..LMAOooo. They will say you are killing the morale of your players now. How can you say “We need to be at our best to beat an island nation”.
Oga Peserio, if you want to survive the Nigerian clime, you must boast you will beat everyone silly…just liek Sunday Dare and Eguavoen were boasting. Nigerians like people who are ‘all talk no action’, than people who go about their duties without bragging.
Go and sit down Dr Pawpaw. So the medicine your therapist gave you to overcome depression due to Nigeria not being in Qatar has finished.
Who let this dog out? Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!
Who let the dog out? Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!
Lolzzzz.
Go back into your cage boy. Come out after Qatar 2022. Lolzzzz. Coming here to talk rubbish. You are so weak Dr Doggy Dog. If you dare call me by my slave name, I will cut off your dick and give it to the maggots. Lolzzzz. Doctor Isonu. Once your antidepressants wear off you start charting jargon.
Eguavoen was bold. Continue vomiting raw sewage there.
Thank God you know he belongs in a cage. Today was a free day for him to relax and release the spiced up peanuts he gets. We still waiting for his coach to get a job since he left Nigeria
Well, anything less than 6:0 is not acceptable.
This opponent is far below Nigeria in fifa ranking and the contry is not up to a local government in Nigeria.
If Nigeria can’t beat them up to 6:0, it’s better we disband the Super Eagles team and know that we have no team.
Super eagles is not known to score with a high margin regardless the opponent,well you may as well start the process of disbanding the team!
Hehehehe….same here Greenturf. I will be seriously surprised if we put 6 past S & P….knowing well that they are going to be parking the bus for 85 minutes like teams like them do.
So we can as well start the process of disbanding the team before Tuesday
Against most teams, Nigeria creates chances. Sao Tome will not be an exception.
The questions is: HOW MANY OF THESE CHANCES WILL WE CONVERT?
These days, we create as many as 10 chances in a match, but convert only 1 or 2, sometimes none.
If we convert more of our chances and keep things tight defensively, then that 6 nil scoreline or even more is possible.