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Jose Peseiro focuses on getting Portugal’s scalp amidst unpaid salaries row
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s senior national team head coach, Jose Peseiro insists he is eager to guide Nigeria to upset his country, Portugal in Thursday’s night friendly.
The Portuguese has been plunged on series of exchanges with his employers Nigeria Football Federation over his unpaid salaries of almost six months since taking the Nigeria coaching post.
“I speak about football and my players. I have confidence in them as they also have confidence in me,” the Portuguese told journalists during a pre-match press briefing.
“It’s enough for us. The media tried to raise different issues on national team matters. The General Secretary can communicate on money and salaries.
“Nigeria deserves to be in the same group as Portugal as Ghana are right now. I would have loved the game to be in Qatar at the World Cup rather than being a friendly match. We want to beat Portugal but it won’t be easy.
“We want to be the top team in Africa. If we want to win the next AFCON, we have to play friendly matches against big teams. Our real game is against Guinea to qualify for the Cup of Nations.
“We want to show our quality against Portugal. The aim is to play well and beat Portugal which might not be easy.”
Meanwhile, Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa is wishing his teammates the best against Portugal later tonight.
“I will always wish my team the best of luck. I know that it’s a friendly but we have to perform. We have not officially met with the new President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but everything will be sorted out,” Musa said.
“He is new in office and has to look through books to see what to do.”
Ahmed Musa will miss today’s game, while top scorer Victor Osimhen is out injured as Peseiro can still call on on-fire Belgium-based Onuachu, the nifty Dessers, dependable Moses Simon, France-based Moffi, and the Italy-based winger Lookman.
Thursday’s encounter at the 50,000-capacity Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon is the first-ever full international between both countries, and it promises fireworks with Portugal heading to the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar the following day and Nigeria eager to blood a corp of new frontliners after narrowly failing to make the train to Qatar.
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