Afcon 2023: Peseiro anticipates tough game against South Africa as Osimhen camp’s boost morale
Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro is anticipating a tough match against South Africa on Wednesday evening even as the arrival of striker Victor Osimhen has lifted the mood in the Eagles’ camp to a new high.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's semi-final game the 63-year-old said, “We’re doing a good job. With good organisation and good commitment, we play like a team together.
“It will be a tough match against a good national team.
“We want to beat South Africa to reach the final. For that, we have to play a high-level match against a South African team that eliminated Morocco, who did a fantastic World Cup.
“We must play 100% or more to beat a very good team.”
He added, “I believe that we can win this competition.
“But they also want to win Afcon, just like us.”
Meanwhile, relief swept through Super Eagles’ camp when the team’s doctors announced that Osimhen, is fit to play in Nigeria’s semifinal clash with South Africa.
Super Eagles’ camp was thrown into confusion on Monday when it emerged that the African Footballer of the Year was suffering from abdominal discomfort. According to reports, Osimhen’s condition was so bad that he could not join the rest of the squad on their flight from Abidjan to Bouake on Monday night.
Super Eagles Media Officer, Babafemi Raji, revealed that the team’s doctors were working to ensure Osimhen gets well enough to play against South Africa, adding, however, that if he failed to be fit to play, the coaches would replace him with either Paul Onuachu or Moffi Terem.
He debunked reports on some websites that the Napoli star has been cleared to play today, saying, “That would be decided when he gets to Bouaké and the medics do another assessment. He was only cleared to fly from Abidjan to Bouaké to join the team.”
However, Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Director, Media, Ademola Olajire, cleared all doubts about Osimhen’s availability for the game, when he simply said: “Osimhen has been cleared to play.”
The Super Eagles had their official training at the Stade Annexe, Bouaké from 4.30 p.m., with the media allowed to watch the session for only the first 15 minutes.
Wednesday’s clash has been billed as the more potentially explosive of the two semifinals (hosts Cote d’Ivoire are up against the Democratic Republic of Congo), given the pedigree, rivalry, and ambition of the two teams.
South Africa has only beaten Nigeria twice in 14 previous meetings at full senior level, though Nigeria edged an African Nations Championship clash by beating the hosts 3-1 in Cape Town in 2014.
The Eagles are currently ranked 42nd in the world by FIFA (sixth in Africa), while the Bafana Bafana are 66th in the world (12th in Africa). Four years ago, both teams met at the quarterfinal stage, with the Super Eagles edging the encounter at the Cairo International Stadium 2-1, the goals coming from Samuel Chukwueze and William Ekong. Both players are in the present squad and are likely to be part of today’s battle.
