- Portuguese coach confirms Iheanacho for Cote d’Ivoire
Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro s has taken positives from the performance of his players despite losing 2-0 to Guinea in a pre-Africa Cup of Nations warm-up friendly on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
Goals from Aguibou Camara and Facinet Conte in between a penalty miss from Moses Simon means Nigeria heads into their AFCON opener against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday on a rocky patch.
Regardless of the defeat, Peseiro said he was pleased with the outing of his boys especially the way they adapted with a 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 formations he adopted for the game.
“It’s important to win of course. I prefer to win than lose but it’s not important because we tried to put a new system,” Peseiro said after the game,” Peseiro told NFF Tv. “It’s the first time we played this way [3-4-3] formation] and I think like I told you the first half we played very well. It’s better to do the mistakes now. The second half was not good but not so bad also.
“I’m happy of course. I know what the players did until now. They worked hard. Some players tried. Even the players that entered yesterday played many minutes but you need to change them because the other players are tired.
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“Good performance indeed from some players. [Alhassan] Yusuf is playing for the first time with our national team. Stanley [Nwabali] also, I am happy with everybody.”
Meanwhile, Peseiro has revealed that Kelechi Iheanacho will join the team in Abidjan for the AFCON.
The Leicester City forward is part of the 25-man squad but he was not at the Abu Dhabi camp as he was tending to his injury back at his English Championship side.
“Kelechi will be with us in Cote d’Ivoire. He has finished his treatment at Leicester City,” Peseiro further told the NFF Tv.
On the vexed goalkeeping issue befuddling the Super Eagles, Peseiro affirmed that the team’s number one shirt was still open despite the fact Chippa United shot stopper Stanley Nwabali reportedly pulled some fine saves in the 2-0 loss to guinea.
“Stanley played but I can’t say for anyone that will be in the first 11 [against Equatorial Guinea]. In that moment I will decide, but in this moment, I say for everybody,” the Portuguese trainer added.