Nigeria vs Lesotho: 3 mistakes Jose Peseiro made in Super Eagles draw
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Three costly mistakes from Jose Peseiro that cost the Super Eagles against Lesotho || Credit: Imago

Nigeria vs Lesotho: 3 mistakes Jose Peseiro made in Super Eagles draw

Stephen Oladehinde 20:07 - 16.11.2023

The Super Eagles began their journey to qualify for the World Cup against Lesotho but failed to secure maximum points.

The game which was played at Godwin Apkabio Stadium in Uyo ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving Nigeria with just one point in their opening game of the World Cup qualifiers.

The Crocodiles of Lesotho opened the scoring with a solid header from a corner before the Super Eagles equalised from a corner kick also which was headed in by Semi Ajayi.

However, the performance of the team was down to some mistakes made by the head coach Peseiro and we take a look at the mistakes that cost the Super Eagles the three points.

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Peseiro’s mistakes 

The Super Eagles' 1-1 draw against Lesotho was mainly caused by some tactical errors made by the head coach.

A lot of negative talking points were identified during the game and those issues need to be addressed by Jose Peseiro.

Nigeria needed to kick start their World Cup qualifying campaign with a win but some of Peseiro’s tactical tweaks deprived the team of breaking down the Lesotho defence.

Nigeria vs Lesotho World Cup qualifiers || Credit: Imago
Nigeria vs Lesotho World Cup qualifiers || Credit: Imago

1. Using Kelechi Iheanacho on the flank

The first mistake Peseiro made was playing Kelechi Iheanacho as a winger against a Lesotho which cost the team.

Iheanacho is mostly known for his directness and sleeky moves in and out of the box which makes him more dangerous.

His best position when playing a 4-4-2 formation is playing as the main striker or a supporting striker.

However, Peseiro decided to play him on the right flank which deprived him of moving in and out of the opponent box.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Super Eagles forward || Credit: Imago
Kelechi Iheanacho, Super Eagles forward || Credit: Imago

2. Failed tactical formation 

Another mistake made by the Super Eagles head coach was the tactical formation used during the game.

The 4-4-2 formation Peseiro deployed against Lesotho was not good enough for the team to create clear-cut chances.

The problem with this formation is that for it to function properly when attacking with the ball, you need a player who can make use of the ball and create space to pair with your striker.

Boniface Victor and Taiwo Awoniyi starts for the Super Eagles || Credit: Imago
Boniface Victor and Taiwo Awoniyi starts for the Super Eagles || Credit: Imago

The only player who can operate in that area was Kelechi Iheanacho but Peseiro decided to play him on the wing and then paired two strikers who only have an eye for goal.

Peseiro's tactical idea did not help the Super Eagles play with fluidity and every penetrative space in the Lesotho defence.

Super Eagles formation against Lesotho || Credit: Google
Super Eagles formation against Lesotho || Credit: Google

3. No plan B

Despite these mistakes during the early stage of the game, Jose Peseiro failed to make any tactical change.

It looks so plain during the game that the Super Eagles boss does not have any plan B to help his team out of a tight spot.

All his substitutions were like-for-like players which did not help the team in breaking down the Lesotho defence.

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro || Credit: Imago
Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro || Credit: Imago

A little tweak in his formation by reverting to a 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-3 formation could have helped the team have more attacking penetration in the final third.

Peseiro needs to learn from his mistakes and analyse visually during the game to avoid such underwhelming results.