They know the team is more important’ – Peseiro explains why Iheanacho, Musa, Moffi, 5 others have not played, ahead of Nigeria’s final group game against Guinea-Bissau at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, manager Jose Peseiro spoke to the media in Abidjan. He revealed that several key players, including Terem Moffi, Paul Onuachu, and Kelechi Iheanacho, did not travel with the team from their Abu Dhabi camp. Peseiro also mentioned that eight players in the final squad have not had the opportunity to play in the tournament so far.
He acknowledged the possibility of Nigeria being knocked out of the tournament if they were to lose to Guinea-Bissau by a significant margin and other results didn’t go their way. When asked about giving playing time to all the called-up players, Peseiro expressed his desire to do so but emphasized the importance of the team above individual players. He highlighted the positive atmosphere within the team and his belief in all 25 players, while also acknowledging the challenge of selecting the best starting eleven.
Peseiro also noted that four Nigeria players had played every minute of the AFCON so far.
