Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has expressed surprise over the poor performance of his players in the AFCON 2023 final against hosts Ivory Coast.
The Eagles had their worst performance at the tournament as they surrendered their lead to lose 2-1.
William Troost-Ekong had given Peseiro’s men the lead in the first half but second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller completed the turnaround.
The Eagles, who had been a tough team to break down and dangerous when going on the counter, were second-best against the Ivorians.
They were outplayed, outfought, and outthought by the hosts who edged ball possession, shot on and off-targets, and corners.
Speaking after the final, Peseiro expressed his disappointment over his team’s poor display.
”I am sad, my players are sad, we wanted to win for the Nigeria people but we couldn’t win it,” he lamented.
“I don’t know why my players weren’t comfortable today as we lost many balls. For that the opponent will punish you.”
It remains to be seen if Peseiro will remain as the Eagles coach.
There were reports that he was close to being fired prior to the AFCON 2023 following the team’s poor performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
