The three-time African champions saw off their Sierra Leonean counterparts, but there is still a lot of work to be done if they want to become a strong force
Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has appealed for more time to build a formidable team despite Nigeria’s 2-1 victory against Sierra Leone in their opening fixture of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The three-time African champions had to stage a first-half comeback after they fell a goal behind within eleven minutes of play. Iwobi and Osimhen led the scoring as Nigeria recorded their first victory under Peseiro.
However, considering the gulf in quality between both sides, one would have expected the Lone Star to get a proper mauling. But it was not the case as the Sierra Leoneans went about their duties majorly unabated.
Nigeria could have scored more than two, but the continuous issue of profligacy in front of goal reared its ugly head again as Nigeria missed several opportunities.
Speaking after the game, Peseiro shared his elation with the victory, but he agreed that the West-African giants were not at their best.
“We are better than Sierra Leone in this game”, Peseiro said as per Brila
“We deserve the win. We changed the setup in the second half, I think it was only in the last ten minutes that our opponents had some good spaces.
“We created a lot of scoring chances, we could have won with a bigger margin, but the team needs more time and we must work.
The Super Eagles would look to be at their best when they lock horns with Sao Tome and Principe in the second round of games.
