Nigeria’s head coach, Jose Peseiro, has addressed the bittersweet AFCON 2023 journey of the Super Eagles, defending his tactics while blaming defensive lapses in the final against Ivory Coast.
Peseiro found himself under scrutiny after the 2-1 defeat, with many questioning his 3-4-3 formation, Footballrover reports.
This same formation, however, had powered the Super Eagles to an impressive six-game unbeaten run, including victories over Cameroon and South Africa.
Despite their dominant record, the Super Eagles struggled to find their rhythm in the final, failing to replicate their earlier performances.
Goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller in the second half secured the trophy for Ivory Coast, although William Troost-Ekong pulled one back for Nigeria.
Facing post-match criticism, Peseiro stood by his tactical choices, highlighting the formation’s success throughout the tournament.
We are sad for not having been able to win this title for Nigeria.But we are very proud of the tournament we played.
Guys, only we know how much we suffered and fought to have reached this final.I can't find the words to thank everyone for what we did and achieved.I am grateful. pic.twitter.com/5PjBoIHOXb— Jose Peseiro (@JosePeseiro) February 12, 2024
He explained that when you have a system that works, there’s a natural instinct to stick with it. According to the coach, he only modified it after going 2-1 down.
However, the Portuguese coach also acknowledged the team’s defensive shortcomings.
He noted that his team only conceded due to defensive errors, and there was a drop in performance against the Ivorians.
“We conceded goals from some defensive errors, and they had a drop in level against the Ivorians,” he said.
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