The senior national team of Nigeria had their first full training session in Abuja ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Sierra Leone on Thursday.

Head coach of the Nigerian team Jose Peseiro who will be leading the team out for the first time in a competitive game put the players through their paces for around two hours.

After various drills, the coach had the players up against each other in a test game which was decided by a solitary goal from Genk of Belgium forward Cyriel Dessers.

Peseiro later supervised a shooting drill which had all players take shots at the three goalkeppers in the camp of the team for the game. Meanwhile the duo of Innocent Bonke and Emmanuel Dennis trained separately as they continue to recover from knocks.

Below is how they lined up in training.

Green Jerseys: Uzoho, Ekong, Ajayi, Ola, Bassey, Iwobi, Aribo, Simon, Samu, Osimhen, Sadiq

Training Bib: Adewale, Omeruo (Awaziem), Balogun, Zaidu, Shehu, Etebo, Onyeka, Lookman (Sani), Musa, Dessers, Moffi.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their second training session in Abuja ahead of Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone.

Coach of the team Jose Peseiro and his assistants led the group out for the session which had all the invited players in attendance aside the duo of Innocent Bonke and Emmanuel Dennis.

Both players trained separately from the group with the physio of the team as they continue to recover from knocks picked up during the team’s engagement in the United States of America.

Bonke picked up a knock and was substituted in the first friendly game against Mexico which the team lost 1-2 and didn’t get to play any part in the second friendly which was the 0-1 loss to Ecuador. He hasn’t recover to be part of the group training.

Dennis on his part appeared to have picked up a knock yesterday during their first session and he was made to also have some fitness drills with the team’s physio. Both players are in a race against time to be fit for Thursday game.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro for the first time had the full compliment of all players he will be needing for the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Peseiro had them all in a training session yesterday evening at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja which lasted for a little over an hour with the first fifteen minutes opened to the press.

They had a short game which was conditioned on using the ball in tight spaces sensing that Sierra Leone will likely park the bus when the game comes up on Thursday.

The duo of Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen were very comfortable during the session as they combined with ease much to the delight of the coach who gave them thumbs up severally.

Alex Iwobi was also very exciting with his deft touches getting him out of tight spaces. He also showed quick feets to move through tight areas. Same as the duo of Moses Simon and Emmanuel Dennis.

Meanwhile the coach has started the process of giving the team his own ways by expressing his unhappiness at certain players who wore earrings, necklaces and finger rings to training. He told them he isn’t entirely pleased with it and wouldn’t mind them not wearing it at all.

It’s a sign that he won’t tolerate them putting on such item hence his first step towards stamping discipline in the camp of the team ahead of his first competitive game as coach.

New coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revised the list of players who were initially invited for the friendly games against Mexico and Ecuador respectively.

Nigeria lost both games which are dress rehearsal for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where Nigeria will take on Sierra Leone on the 9th of May before a game against Sao Tome and Principe on the 13th.

Peseiro has made some changes to the list of players with the axing of some players notably seven of the nine players from the Nigeria Professional Football League with only goalkepper Adewale Adeyinka and Faisal Sani surviving the chop.

Also youngsters Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf who were unable to make it to the United States of America due to visa issues were not handed a chance to be a part of the squad for the AFCON qualifiers. Same goes for Valentine Ozornwafor whose club confirmed his invitation but he was conspicuously missing from the list.

There was a first time call up for Hapoel Jerusalem goalkepper Adebayo Adeleye with Olorunleke Ojo the goalkepper dropped for him to be a part of the team that will camp in Abuja for both games.

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sani Faisal (Katsina United);
Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain)

Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Innocent Bonke (FC Lorient, France); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Emmanuel Dennis(Watford, England)

The senior national team of Nigeria completed their tour of the United States of America without picking a win in any of the two friendly games they played. They lost 1-2 to Mexico before losing 0-1 to Ecuador.

OwnGoalNigeria.com picks five things new coach Jose Peseiro must have learnt from the two games as the team gets set for their first competitive game under his leadership on the 9th of May when they take on Sierra Leone in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers in Abuja.

1. Bonke can’t play in a 3-5-2 formation – Lorient of France midfielder Innocent Bonke started against Mexico in Peseiro’s first game at the helm. The coach deployed the team in a 3-5-2 formation with Bonke the deepest of the Nigerian midfielders.

Although he covered lot of grounds and won back possession. He clearly didn’t know what to do when on the ball particularly when under pressure. The teams didn’t get going until he was subbed off due to injury. Evidently he can’t function in a set up which places demands on midfielders to make better use of the play when in possession.

2. Time is ticking on Awaziem’s international career- For six years he failed to cement a spot as the centre back in the team. The thinking that Peseiro who handed Chidozie Awaziem his senior debut at Porto will naturally lean towards working with him as he rebuilds the team’s defence.

That isn’t the case at the moment as Semi Ajayi appears to have moved ahead of him in the pecking order. He played as a right back in both games and his performance isn’t something to be proud of. So poor that was he hooked off at the half time break yesterday. For now he isn’t a sure bet to start as right back or centre back. If that is the case after six years then it’s best to hand others the chance to challenge.

3. Calvin Bassey is here to stay – It’s safe to say that he was the best player for Nigeria over the course of both games. He was not just assured defensively. He was also a threat high up the pitch. That he can also play in central defence with ease means he is sure to be a mainstay of the team for a long while.

4. Uzoho isn’t that bad a goalkeeper- Francis Uzoho redeemed himself to an extent with two above average performances in both games. Read the lines well and handled properly. A massive improvement from his last showing where he gifted Ghana a cheap goal. It is hope that this game will boost his confidence which was badly dented by the incident in Abuja.

5. Emmanuel Dennis is a liability – Brilliant on the ball, poor of it and also very individualistic in his approach. He didn’t look like a player who wanted to be on the pitch. Missed two good sitters from inside the box against Mexico and almost cost the team twice when he walked away after losing possession instead of fighting to win it back. On both occasions Uzoho bailed the team out.

That Peseiro started Faisal, a defensive player ahead of him says a lot about how he probably perfomed in training. Yet to match his form at club level with a good showing for Nigeria. Three games, no goals, no assists isn’t what you expect from a forward who scored eleven goals for Watford.

Yesterday the Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered their second straight defeat in friendly game losing 0-1 to Ecuador in the United States of America.

Coach of the Nigerian team Jose Peseiro used as many as thirteen players in the game and OwnGoalNigeria.com picks five players who were below par in the game which is the last ahead of the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the Super Eagles.

Faisal Sani – He can’t be blamed for not contributing anything meaningful in attack as he is originally a left sided center back or a left back. Looked lost further up the pitch as a right winger but it was in defence that he was caught napping. Lost his man Estupiñán who scored the goal that decided the game.

Terem Moffi – Looked bereft of ideas as he constantly ran into blind alleys. Commited needless fouls although he could have won a penalty for a foul in the box. Didn’t strike a good partnership with Cyriel Dessers in attack. That he lasted 85 minutes is a big shock to all who watched the game.

Chidozie Awaziem – Deservedly got hooked at half time as he was abysmally poor. Had a hand in the first goal. Couldn’t hit simple passes, rash in tackles and indecisive high up the pitch. Ola Aina’s introduction at half time break showed how much of a misfit he is at right back.

Emmanuel Dennis – Hard to blame a player for missing a chance but at his level and high rating sending a cross wide with an empty net in front of him is a concern. Missed a free header from another of Moses Simon’s delivery and defensively he was a liability. It almost cost Nigeria twice. Looks interested when not on the ball.

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has provided an explanation on why the team suffered their second consecutive defeat in friendly games following the 0-1 defeat to Ecuador.

Peseiro started over his tenure as coach with a 1-2 loss to Mexico and yesterday an early goal from Pervais Josue Estupiñán settled the game in favour of the Ecuador side.

Speaking after the game, Peseiro blamed his team’s poor start to the game which saw them concede very early and also hinted that the fact that they had two penalty claims not given played a role in the defeat.

“Today I think like it was in  the game against Mexico we didn’t play good but today I think the last 25 minutes or the last 30 minutes of the first half”, he said.

“Only the first 15 minutes we didn’t play like we can because we have players who can move the ball and command the game but we could not in the first 15 minutes. I think after that 15 minutes we played very well in my opinion.

“The second half was much better but it’s not easy, pressure ninety minutes like we did in the second half. I don’t want to speak about referee, At least one penalty. no VAR but in the stadium they show clear penalty goal keeper touched the foot of the striker. The other I don’t know but my assistant told me it’s a clear penalty.

“If the referee gives the penalty and the striker or midfielder scores it, then this game ends 1-1 but it’s ok as everyone makes mistakes. I make mistakes and even the players make mistakes”, he concluded.

The senior national team of Nigeria were beaten 0-1 by Ecuador in an international friendly game played in the United States of America. Their second straigh friendly loss.

OwnGoalNigeria.com picks five players who were on top of their game during the course of the duration of the game decided by a goal in the 3rd minute by Pervis Josué Estupiñán.

Calvin Bassey – By far the best player on the pitch for the Nigerian team. He combined his job defensively with constant foray to join attack where his deliveries caused all sort of problems for the defence of Ecuador. A really good display he had.

Francis Uzoho – Had a very good game and he is largely why the scores stayed decent. Could do nothing about the goal he conceded. His distribution was hit and miss but his handling, positioning and reflex were spot on.

William Troost Ekong- Didn’t look like same player who was all over the place against Mexico few days ago. Solid in ground duels, won all his aerial duels. However he could have done better when trying to play from the back. Lucky not to have scored an own goal again but it still didn’t take away the fact that he was very solid.

Alex Iwobi – Back to back games he has proven to be the surest route to goal for the Nigerian team. Set up three chances which were wasted twice by Cyriel Dessers and once by Terem Moffi.

Moses Simon – Created four goal scoring chances. More than any other player on the pitch. Set up a clear cut chance for Emmanuel Dennis which looked easier to score than miss. Could easily have walked away with four assists. Also had more touches than any other player for Nigeria.

A third minute goal by Pervis Josué Estupiñán was good enough for Ecuador to pick a narrow 1-0 win against the senior national team of Nigeria in an international friendly in the United States of America.

Nigeria failed to deal with an early freekick with Faisal Sani guilty of ball watching and Chidozie Awaziem unaware of his surrounding allowing Estupiñán to head across Francis Uzoho for the game’s opening goal.

That goal sparked the Nigerian team to life as they immediately seized the momentum with Cyriel Dessers handed a clear chance but with the goalkepper at his mercy he shot tamely directly at him.

Terem Moffi was next to miss a glift edged chance when his header from a poorly cleared corner kick was kept out by Alexander Dominguez who was in goal for Ecuador.

Dominguez was by far the busiest in the second half, twice denying Dessers from close range and was lucky not to concede when a cross from Moses Simon had him beaten but Emmanuel Dennis somehow failed to divert the ball to goal.

He was also beaten by another cross from Simon but once again Dennis failed to direct his header on target. It wasn’t all Nigeria though as Uzoho has to be called upon twice to keep the scores at 1-0 with few minutes left in the game.

The defeat means the Super Eagles have now lost back to back friendly games which are tune up games for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe on the 9th and 13th of March respectively.

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has made public the lineup for the senior national team of Nigeria for today’s friendly game against Ecuador in the United States of America.

Peseiro started with same set of players who started the second half of the 1-2 loss to Mexico in their first friendly game on Sunday per Nigerian time.

Katsina United defender Faisal Sani who was a second half substitute for Innocent Bonke in that game gets the nod to start today in the absence of the Lorient man. The team will play in the 4-4-2 formation.

Starting XI

Francis Uzoho
Chidozie Awaziem
Calvin Bassey
William Ekong
Semi Ajayi
Moses Simon
Joe Aribo
Alex Iwobi
Faisal Sani
Cyriel Dessers
Terem Moffi