The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro had his first full press conference with the Nigerian media ahead of his first competitive game as coach of the team.
OwnGoalNigeria.com witnessed the session and here are what the Portuguese coach said about playing games in the Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja in the wake of reports that he criticised the playing surface, also his favourite tactis and his target of winning the next Africa Cup of Nations.
State Of Abuja Pitch
I don’t know, I didn’t complain. I didn’t speak with anyone about the pitch, about the stadium nothing. I don’t know about how come this news because I didn’t speak to any journalist. I speak to journalists at this press conference instead only that because our focus is the match. For us is about my team playing very well tomorrow and beat Sierra Leone.
It’s my life, my career and I am okay with my career but it’s okay. I accept the critics, I accept the protagonist. I accept everything but now for me only think I can advice you or what I can say to you is you must evaluate my job here.
Winning Next AFCON
Why did you think I told the president of the NFF that I want to come here? Why did you think I said I want to win the next AFCON, Why? Can you tell me? Because I believe in the players like you congratulations (laughs).
Of course i believe in them. I am not a crazy guy. I came here because I want to work. If I don’t work, you are going to kill me. I have confidence and myself as well. I can choose a good way with them. All of my career I build on the idea, super idea. Modern day idea , training ideas and about many things for many years. Of course that idea in me and my staff you need to share, you need to join with my players in this environment for them to learn also because it’s possible something that I want, I like but I can’t not do here.
I need to adapt to them. In this moment you start in stages. Start to see, to hear and to feel what I can do here. For that I spoke with the players, I spoke with the staff. I spoke with everybody. Step by step I will go to learn more about this context, about this environment, about the characteristics of my players not only in the video because I saw so many videos but I will know better when I go to the pitch and train with them.
Along the few days we did some exercises, I must see if they adapt, if they like my tactics for tomorrow. It’s one process but you must win tomorrow. We have time for that but first of all I want to win and we must win.
Favourite Tactics
We played 5-3-2 not because I like playing 5-3-2 but you know the players who are there. You know I adapt our model, our tactics to the players who came with us there. Local players but first of all I try to put in the pitch, the normal players in the national team. After that I put young players in the field. For creating that team for the eleven that will play, I use the characteristic of the players to play 5-3-2.
In my mind I have to manage the players. We could not play 4-3-2 or 4-4-2 because I didn’t have all the players there. More defensive players than in attack, more defensive players than midfield players only that. You can play 3-5-2, 4-3-2 or 4-3-3. It’s not about the model, the main thing is the principle.
I like to attack, I like to play with high pressure, I like to command the game with the ball. I can do it with 5-3-2, 4-4-2, 3-4-3 like you want but with little training of course and you need time for that but I know I have players with quality, who can learn quickly. It’s different when you train Nigeria than other teams who don’t have qualities like our players. What I know is that they learn quickly.
