127
Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has explained the reasons behind his call up of 25 players instead of 27 maximum players as recommended by CAF for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The gaffer had come under immense pressure on the decision to invite only 25 players.
Speaking with the team’s media officer, Babafemi Raji, the coach explained that the NFF had instructed him on the number of players to pick.
He also explained some of the reasons for inviting the Veterans.
“The number is from the Nigeria Football Federation. NFF decided to take 25 players. I agreed, twenty five players is enough to manage. Since the first moment NFF decided to take 25 players,” Peseiro told the Super Eagles media.
“We did a big list of 41 players and these chosen players worked with us until now. The performance in the selection because some players show good performance in the clubs but didn’t show in our national team.
“It can happen the same in the opposite, some players play very well in the national team, they didn’t play well in the clubs – it’s different atmosphere, different context.
“The third one is the current form, if they are playing well, if they show the good conditions for their clubs for us. I try to bring four fullbacks, five central defenders, five midfielders, four wingers and four strikers.
“Some players give more deep moments, some players give more support, some players give more connection. We tried to coordinate these characteristics and these solutions for our system, for our game.”
In what seems to be a defence to his inclusion of William Troost-Ekong and Ahmed Musa, the Coach explained that some of the players are needed to lift the spirit of the team.
“In other points, anytime I look for players, I pick players who can create a better spirit for the team, when they see those who are not playing and then they can get involved and create a good spirit for our team.
“It is not easy to pick the 25 players but it was based on the best possible, so I hope they play well for us.”
