Former head coach of the Nigeria national football team, José Peseiro, has voiced disappointment over the team’s third-place finish at the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations, stating that their runner-up achievement two years earlier remains a more significant accomplishment.
Peseiro led Nigeria to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations—their first appearance at that stage since 2013—where they narrowly lost 2–1 to the Ivory Coast national football team. Despite the defeat, the performance marked Nigeria’s strongest showing in over a decade and was widely regarded as a return to elite continental status.
At the most recent tournament in Morocco, however, the Super Eagles—now under the guidance of Eric Chelle—finished third. While the team earned praise for its attacking flair and entertaining style of play, Peseiro emphasized that such recognition should not overshadow the ultimate objective.
Speaking from Portugal, the former coach reiterated the high standards expected of Nigerian football. “Nigeria is a big football country in Africa, and every tournament comes with expectations,” he said.
“You are expected to reach the final of the AFCON, and we did that two years ago—our best finish in a long time. I see that the team finished third at the last tournament.”
Peseiro’s remarks underline his belief that for a nation of Nigeria’s pedigree, anything short of a final appearance falls below the established benchmark—even in the face of promising performances.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
