Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Monday secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau to advance to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, but coach Jose Peseiro admitted his team needs to sharpen their finishing.
Despite wasting several chances, including some by star striker Victor Osimhen, the Eagles clung on to top Group A on six points, level with Equatorial Guinea, who drew with hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
“Today, we played very good football but we missed scoring chances which is not good for us.
“Our striker, Victor Osimhen, was not at his best but I’m happy we are through to the next stage.
“I want to congratulate Equatorial Guinea for leading the group with seven points after scoring many goals. I also congratulate my team for making it to the next round.
“Today’s match was a tough one; we created four opportunities but we couldn’t convert them. But I’m still happy we progressed to the next stage.
“I believe we kept our goals for the next round; we will definitely work on our finishing ahead of our next match.
“For the next match, if you score goals you proceed to the next round,” he said.
The Portuguese tactician said he is not afraid of their next opponent in the round of 16. He said the focus is on every game.
While Guinea-Bissau bowed out of the tournament with three defeats, coach Baciro Candé remained optimistic.
He said, “We will continue to learn as we played good football today. This tournament is full of surprises for all of us. This is a great competition with great learning opportunities and I believe we shall do better next time.
“Our first match was different from the second match and today’s match was different from our last match. I think our players should be congratulated and should be praised for their commitment and willingness to fight.
“In the matches we played, we showed we have a brilliant future; in three to four years, our team will be more impactful,” he said.
