Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro, has told his players to be more clinical if they are to go far in the knockout stages of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Nigerian team booked their passage into the last 16 after defeating Guinea-Bissau by 1- 0 on Monday, thanks to a first-half own goal from Guinea-Bissau’s Opa Sangante.
The win was enough to earn them second place in Group A with seven points.
Nigeria dominated the game, but poor finishing ensured it was a tense encounter to the end, with Osimhen missing several chances to secure the three points earlier in the contest.
Both teams also had late goals correctly ruled out for offside.
Peseiro told newsmen during a post-match conference that the team could not afford to continue to miss clear chances in front of goal as it might be detrimental to Nigeria’s progress in the tournament.
“It is a new competition that is starting for us.
“The most important part of a competition is the knockout stage.
“We will have to be more clinical in front of goal because the slightest mistake will be fatal for us,” he said.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles are in the round of 16 of the AFCON for the 17th time.
They will next face the runners-up of Group C—either Guinea or Senegal—in the Round of 16 at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday.
Egypt survive after 4-goal thriller, as Ghana crash out
In the group B encounter on Monday, Egypt secured a 2-2 draw against impressive Cape Verde, to finish second with three points, while Ghana squandered a two-goal lead against Mozambique to crash out of the tournament.
While the Island nation of just over 500,000 people won the group with seven points, Egypt finished second with three points.
Ghana and Mozambique who had one point each going into the last group encounter, finished with two points each following the dramatic 2-2 draw to both crash out of the tournament.
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