Nigeria’s Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has attributed bad luck as reason for his team’s disappointing draw against the Nzalang Nationale of Equatorial Guinea.
The Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea on Sunday in their first Group A game of the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, as Nigeria failed to begin their campaign on a winning note.
A composed finish by Ivan Salvador in the 36th minute of play gave Equatorial Guinea a shock lead but the celebrations were short-lived after reigning African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen levelled the score for Nigeria with a difficult header, just two minutes later.
Despite the disappointing result, Peseiro says he’s satisfied with the performance of his players.
“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 noted.
“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. We hope that next time, even with fewer opportunities, we will score. We simply have to improve our finishing,” he said.
Nigeria will next face host nation, Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe for their second game. The match which will kick-off at 6pm Nigerian time will be crucial for the Eagles, as they have almost no room for error.
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