Nigeria Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro has revealed that he is not unaware of the threat of his opponents, South Africa as they prepare to lock horns in the first semi final of the 2023 African Cup of Nations on Wednesday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Nigerian coach extolled his team's good qualities which has taken them this far while speaking in the pre match conference ahead of the match.
“Our team has done a good job until now, we’re in the semi-finals, we’ve shown good spirit, good organisation, we’ve shown commitment, determination, sacrifice,” Peseiro said in the pre-match press conference.
“We’ve played like a team together and we now have a tough match against a good national team – and they [our players] want to beat South Africa to reach the final but for that, they need to play a high-level match.
He acknowledges they have a though match now against a team that wants to beat them, stating his opponents achievements in recent times, but says he and his players know what to do.
“We know the capacity and the power of the opponent, they knocked Morocco out, who had a fantastic World Cup – they even knocked out my Portugal in the last World Cup, beat Brazil in a friendly match, so that’s a team with good quality [to beat at AFCON].
“But my players and I, we know what to do, but sure we must play 100% or more to beat a really good team.”
The Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa semi final clash holds at the Peace Stadium of Bouaké on Wednesday.
Uche Dozie