Troost-Ekong reveals why Super Eagles players want Peseiro to stay on

Super Eagles captain at the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, William Troost-Ekong has told Cable News Network, CNN, why he and his colleagues in the Nigerian sebioe national team wants Jose Peseiro to return as their coach for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers whuich start in June.

Peseiro surprised Nigerians by not only leading the Super Eagles to their fifth Africa Cup of Nations silver medal but also gave the team what Troost-Ekong called ‘an identity’.

‘”I think the players were happy with him, of course he took us to the final, yeah significantly, it is something we can build on, I’m not sure what he has in mind, I tried to ask him before we left and he said he is going to call me back later. I’m just in the dark as you guys are but I think all the players will be happy to see him stay,’ Troost-Ekong said in the interview.

Troost-Ekong says the team has to build on the AFCON 2023 momentum and Peseiro deserves to stay after what he did in Cote d’Ivoire.

‘I do back our coach 100%, he gave us an identity in this tournament. Before the tournament, there was not enough playing style or what we wanted to do. However, it might be our weakness in the final, but it was our strength throughout the tournament.

‘I think we have to give him a massive compliment for getting the team going after some difficult years, so he also has to come out with some credit. I think he too would have wanted to be standing here with a winners medal instead’, added the defender who was voted the tournament’s best player.

The Super Eagles captain is the first defender/full back to score three goals in a same Africa Cup of Nations edition since Opta started collecting this data (2010).

The Nigerian and Côte d’Ivoire’s Sébastien Haller are the first players to score in both semi-final and final in the same Africa Cup of Nations edition since Gedo with Egypt in 2010.