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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Idah Peterside, has highlighted significant differences in the national team under the tutelage of coach Jose Peseiro and current interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen.
Reflecting on Peseiro’s tenure, Idah Peterside emphasized the disappointment of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final loss to Ivory Coast.
He expressed a strong belief that the team’s potential wasn’t fully realized under Peseiro’s leadership, noting that the players, including Alex Iwobi, Victor Osimhen, and Ademola Lookman, possess exceptional talent that should be unleashed.
On the other hand, Peterside credited Eguavoen for providing the players with freedom and confidence, resulting in impressive performances in the AFCON qualifiers.
He praised Eguavoen’s decisions, such as resting Osimhen and benching Iwobi when necessary, as signs of effective leadership.
“Let’s go back to the finals. For me, the finals and the game we played against South Africa were the killer”, Idah Peterside, who is currently based in South Africa, told Channels TV.
“After those games, I just said sack this coach [Peseiro] and when the coach of South Africa came online, came on air, I was in South Africa then, and he said he was shocked to hear the Nigerian coach say don’t go forward, don’t cross the line, defend and he is like with this kind of players, with this kind of capacity.
“We have the best set of players in Africa. Look at their names, Iwobi, Osimhen, you know, Lookman, we have some of the best players. You can’t cage these kinds of players; you give them expression; Austin [Eguavoen] has done that.
“We had an expression in Uyo, we scored three goals, we had an expression in Kigali, the goalkeeper saved them, they carried the goalkeeper after the end of the game, which means we came out to attack, this is what they are talking about.
“When this team begins to build and play with this kind of confidence, we would be unstoppable and he made some decisions that we are happy about.
“You know he benched Osimhen, not because Osimhen wasn’t good enough, but because Osimhen hasn’t played any competitive game yet, and it would be dangerous for the player to just put him into a tournament or a game; he will get injured, that was professionally handled.
“The game against Benin, Iwobi didn’t play well right, and he was comfortable enough not to play him in the second game; that is leadership for me.
“Eguavoen was the captain when we played; he was the captain of the national team, so he is a big boy now, he is part of the system, and he is making the right decision. It is just for me, we are on the right channel.”
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