Peseiro admits tactical blunder blames bad lucky
Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro was honest in admitting that his tactical blunder of playing two strikers who are not familiar with the style and ill luck was responsible for the team’s embarrassing 1-1 draw against Lesotho in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Thursday.
The Super Eagles failed to inspire under a rainy atmosphere at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, as they were held at home by their visitors in front of a handful of fans. Lesotho are ranked 153rd in the world – 113 places behind Nigeria who are 40th.
After a goalless first half, Motlomelo Mkwanazi gave Lesotho a shock lead from a corner before West Brom center-back Semi Ajayi headed Nigeria level from a Kelechi Iheanacho’s corner 11 minutes later.
Peseiro’s men continued their dominance but couldn’t break their resilient visitors who snatched a point.
“We had 76 percent of the ball possession to their 24 percent. We played against a team that had just two shots while we were unlucky in the attack. We are sad about the result,” Peseiro said
Nigeria’s draw against the minnows hands the advantage in Group C to South Africa and Benin Republic who are yet to play in the qualifying series. Jose Peseiro admitted that his strikers failed to deliver the goods because they were uncoordinated.
Peseiro opted to pair Nottingham Forest star Taiwo Awoniyi and Bayer Leverkusen's new sensation Victor Boniface in attack but the two players who have scored 11 goals between them in the top five European leagues so far this season lacked chemistry.
The Portuguese football tactician underlined that his center forwards Victor Osimhen, Terem Moffi, Victor Boniface and Taiwo Awoniyi are not familiar with playing the two-striker role as they play with a striker less at their respective clubs.
The Super Eagles dominated possession, registered 29 shots with eight on target, but lacked a goal poacher in the mould of Victor Osimhen who was not called up for the November internationals due to a hamstring injury.
Peseiro admitted that he did not have enough time to adequately prepare the center forwards for the matchday one tie against the Crocodiles.
"Our strikers score in their clubs, they didn't score today, the same players. The players work on finishing in their clubs, they have time there. Two days, we didn't finish training," Peseiro told reporters.
"The other thing is that only us play with two strikers. Boniface, Taiwo, Osimhen, and Moffi don't play with two strikers.
"We try to coordinate that to play with two strikers because with two strikers we scored 10 goals, 3 goals against (Mozambique), we score every time with two strikers.
"You want to create the coordination not the finishing so they understand the movements better each one that plays together.
"Today I felt sometimes there was no right coordination, for that we need more time for training but it's not only the work, but it's also the bad luck. The ball hit the post, the ball was going into the goal, one defender touched it. Many situations."
Meanwhile, Nigeria are second in the group behind Lesotho while Rwanda and Zimbabwe who also played a goalless draw on Wednesday are third and fourth.
The Super Eagles will next face Zimbabwe at their adopted ground in Rwanda on Sunday.
