Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has said his side’s missed opportunities were the reason for the frustrating 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in their opening Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the three-time champions were left to rue their finishing, with star striker Victor Osimhen only able to cancel out Ivan Salvador’s opener.
“We hoped to win this match, and we did everything to win. Our team was better than that of Equatorial Guinea, but we lacked luck,” Peseiro revealed.
“I am not happy. I deserved to win; this draw doesn’t suit us. Our team created a lot of chances, but we didn’t score,” Peseiro said in his post-match press conference.
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen was not his usual clinical self, as he missed several scoring chances.
He had one early in the match, which he could not convert. He got another in the 55th minute, a one-on-one chance with the man of the match, Jesus Owono, which he also failed to convert. Again, in the 75th minute, when Alex Iwobi’s pass opened up the Equatorial Guinea defence, Osimhen went off the mark with his effort wide off Owono’s right post.
“We hope that next time, even with fewer opportunities, we will score. We simply have to improve our finishing,” Peseiro added.
The Super Eagles are aiming to add to their impressive AFCON record, having won the tournament three times and reaching the semi-finals in 14 of their last 17 appearances.
They play against hosts Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday.
