The 34th edition of the continental most prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is still months away but Super Eagles’ Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro is buzzing with optimism that Nigeria can win her long awaited fourth title. MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN writes.
For all their acclaimed prowess in continental football, the Super Eagles of Nigeria have only won the flagship Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on three occasions with maiden victory on home in 1980 when ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu hoisted the big trophy at the National Stadium in Surulere.
The other two victories came in 1994 when Dutchman Clemens Westerhof assembled arguably the country’s best generation of talents ably led by late captain Stephen Okechukwu Keshi to eclipse the rest of the continent in Tunisia while Keshi would later made history in 2013 in South Africa as the second former player and coach to win the AFCON after legendary late Egyptian Mahmoud El-Gohary.
Apart from these three standout performances, the Super Eagles have remained in the continental wilderness in search of another title but the country’s new Portuguese manager remains bullish about the chances of the Super Eagles under his watch.
Appointed the 48th coach of the Super Eagles and the first Portuguese to manage Nigeria in May 2022, Peseiro said the quality of talents at his disposal is one of the factors that make him giddy with naked optimism that Nigeria will win her long-awaited fourth title.
“As you all know, our goal is to qualify for the (2023) AFCON, and then win the competition,” Peseiro who would be 63 on April 4, exclusively told NationSport.“We are first in the group (Group A), we broke the record goals in a game against Sao Tome & Principe, and played friendly games against strong teams, where we have tested and evaluated individual and collective situations.”
In almost one year on the job, Peseiro’s Super Eagles are yet to command the kind of respect accorded Nigeria’s national team in the days of yore when the continent was their oysters .
Four losses in international friendly matches albeit against some of the best global soccer playing countries including Portugal, Mexico , Ecuador and Algeria coupled with two opening victories in the on-going 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome & Principe has not inspired confidence.
Yet Peseiro believed the Super Eagles have all what it take to rule the continent :“The quality of players Nigeria has( gives me the confidence that the Super Eagles can win the next AFCON).We have quality players and we have to create a good spirit and a good organization.”
Speaking further, the former Al Ahly of Egypt coach said he was also buoyed with the quality of strikers at his disposal with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Terem Moffi and Ademola Lookman firing on all cylinders, adding his overall desire is to build a formidable team capable of holding forte in all departments of the game.
On the last count, Osimhen has scored 25 goals for Napoli while both Lookman and Moffi have both banged 14 goals each respectively for Atalanta and OGC Nice in the current European season to the delight of Peseiro.
“I’m happy to have good strikers,” noted Peseiro, a great fan of French star striker and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner , Karim Benzema. “But a team is a collective, made up of players with different characteristics, and everyone has to defend and attack.”
As the Super Eagles take on the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau qualifiers today and next week, Peserio who has already been pilloried for the choice of some players for the 2023 AFCON double header qualifiers, said he was guided by the old coaching dictum that ‘you don’t change a winning team’.
“All Nigerian players have the possibility to play for the Super Eagles team, for that they will have to show quality, ambition and spirit,” assured Peseiro, a striker in his heydays. “ But you have to realize that to make an organized and spirited team, you can’t change the players too much.
“The short time of work in the selection, forces us to maintain a stable group of players,” he added.
Yet Peseiro has showed a puritanical devotion to his job since he came on board as the Super Eagles manager by making whistle-stop visits across Europe to check on his wards as well as conferring with coaches of other levels of the national team all in a bid to create a united front.
“As I said, we have a lot of good players,” he further said.“ By visiting them, I intend to get to know the reality where they train and play, talk to their coaches and, talking to them, create the spirit we want for our team.”
He also hazard the prospects for some of the current players in the national U-17 and U-20:“The two teams have a lot of name players, who will definitely reach the Super Eagles.”
Next week, the Coruche-born Peseiro who shares birth year with Nigeria’s independence from the British government, would be 63 on 4th April, has quipped w about the secrets about his enthusiastic outlook as well as some rare insights about his urbane personality.
“ I live a happy life, always looking for the positive points in life, with emotion, love and motivation,” he offered. “I like sport a lot. Practically all sports. I have a degree in sports, with a specialty in football and a master’s degree in this area as well. That’s what fascinates me.
“I played in a European Final (UEFA CUP), I won trophies, but the most important thing was how I dedicated myself 100% to all projects, the emotion I shared with everyone who worked with me and the friendships I built around the world.”
Yet Peseiro stirred the hornet’s nest with his choice of the best player for the 2022 FIFA Best Awards as he picked French talisman Karim Benzema over World Cup winner, Lionel Messi.
“I nominated the best in the world, Karim Benzema,” he sounded off.
