Despite Nigeria's 2-1 victory over Sierra Leone in their opening match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has asked for more time to construct a formidable team.
To begin their campaign on a winning note, the three-time African champions had to stage a first-half comeback.
Peseiro's side trailed by a goal after 11 minutes of play when Jonathan Morshay's diving header gave the Leone Stars the lead, but the Eagles surged back and were level within four minutes as Alex Iwobi curled in a low drive from the edge of the Leone Stars penalty area.
Four minutes before halftime, Victor Osimhen clinched the Eagles' triumph. Peseiro voiced his delight at the victory after the game, despite admitting that the West African giants were not at their best.
"In this game, we were superior to Sierra Leone," Peseiro stated afterward.
We deserved the victory. We modified the formation in the second half, and I believe our opponents only got some decent gaps in the last ten minutes.
We had numerous scoring opportunities and could have won by a larger margin, but the team requires more time and we must improve.
When the Super Eagles face Sao Tome and Principe in the second round of games, they will need to be at their best.