Jose Peseiro on the difference between Nigeria and Bafana

Super Eagles of Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro says the DStv Premiership league is an added advantage for Bafana Bafana and looks at what separates the two teams.

Coach Peseiro says the Mzansi top flight is one of the best leagues in Africa and believes Bafana have been together for a while – and that separates them from Nigeria.

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The Super Eagles coach, Peseiro addressed the media ahead of their Afcon semi-final clash between Bafana and Nigeria on Wednesday in Ivory Coast.

Peseiro also downplayed the favourites tag which Nigeria enjoys over Bafana, preferring to say Morocco also lost to coach Hugo Broos’ side despite enjoying that tag.

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Boasting a squad of players who ply their trades in Europe such as striker Victor Osimhen of Napoli, coach Peseiro said that doesn’t count or separates his side from Bafana.

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The Portuguese-born Nigeria coach, Peseiro added that Mamelodi Sundowns players have a massive influence on how Bafana plays – he looks at what separates the two teams.

“I think it was the same thing against Morocco, 98% of the Moroccans play in Europe, but they lost,” said Nigeria coach Peseiro on what separates Bafana and his side.

“Football… firstly I think in South Africa they have a good league, I was there to evaluate and speak with Chippa United when I was there for Stanley Nwabali, it’s a professional league.

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“Their national team has nine players from the same team, Mamelodi Sundowns, for that, they show…if a team plays with nine players, the first match was seven, after that nine – playing together in the team for one or two years, they improve their organisation.

“For that, this team, shows until now…very good organisation, very good.

“Only conceded two goals, one more than us, they are compact, they don’t allow space, and they look like one team, which is not easy to have in a national team, to play like one team.”

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The former Real Madrid assistant coach to ex-Bafana boss Carlos Quieroz, Peseiro added that Broos has established a solid team.

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“They are with the same coach of six to eight months and they improve their organisation, there’s certain moments in the game [they benefit], in the national team we don’t have time to do it, but we have good players of course,” added the Nigeria coach, Peseiro.

“Good players can improve quickly, they know football, they play big competitions, big teams in Europe, I’m happy about that but at the same time, you know this team [South Africa] don’t play in Europe but they play in the same team.

“I remember when Spain played in the same team, seven guys from Barcelona and three from Real Madrid, the national team showed the best organisation and quality in their game in many years because they spent a lot of time together.

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“[But] if some players of the Super Eagles can’t play their normal game without [this] pressure [to beat them], they cannot play for the Super Eagles.”

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