Zimbabwe vs Nigeria: 3 mistakes Jose Peseiro made in Super Eagles draw
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Peseiro's mistakes that cost Nigeria three points || Credit: Imago

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

Stephen Oladehinde 17:04 - 19.11.2023

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have failed to secure another three points for the second time in the space of three days.

Nigeria travelled to Zimbabwe to play their second World Cup qualifying game but could only carve out a 1-1 draw.

Zimbabwe took the lead in the first half from a stunning long-range free-kick that beat the helpless Francis Uzoho but Kelechi Iheanacho’s second-half equaliser gave the Super Eagles a draw.

A lot of issues were pinpointed for the performance of the team which was down to the head coach's failure to learn from his mistakes.

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Peseiro’s mistakes

Nigeria needed a win against Zimbabwe to go top of their group but failed to take their chances and remain third on the table.

Many mistakes were highlighted during their previous qualifying match against Lesotho and some of those mistakes were not corrected.

We take a look at what went wrong with the Super Eagles head coach changes and his mistakes.

1. Wrong choice of players 

Peseiro’s tactical tweak for the game was not executed well because he failed to field the right personnel on the field.

The fact that he benched some of his players who did well against Lesotho and decided to go for other players left him with a disappointing result.

Putting the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Boni Face was a bad decision to opt for against a solid Zimbabwe team.

Iheanacho in action for the Super Eagles || Credit: Imago
Iheanacho in action for the Super Eagles || Credit: Imago

2. Wrong formation

One of the mistakes made by Peseiro was using the same formation that failed to work against Lesotho.

Peseiro opted for the same 4-4-2 formation that did not pay off against Lesotho and kept his team isolated.

The Zimbabweans found it very easy to defend the Super Eagles' attack and even burst forward without any pressure from the players.

The formation did not help the team’s attacking players and many of them became clueless on what to do in the final third.

Peseiro's failed formation || Credit: Google
Peseiro's failed formation || Credit: Google

3. Not pairing Iheanacho with Moffi

In a 4-4-2 formation, you need your supporting striker to be able to drop deep to help the midfield when in possession of the ball.

However, the right personnel that can play that role effectively was left on the bench by Peseiro for most of the game.

Iheanacho comes in to score Nigeria's equaliser || Credit: Pulse Sports
Iheanacho comes in to score Nigeria's equaliser || Credit: Pulse Sports

Kelechi Iheanacho was the best fit for that position because he has the ability to drop deep and pick out passes.

He also has the ability to run into the box and score a goal for his team which he later did when he was substituted into the game.