2023 AFCON opener rehearsal: Peseiro explains why there was no tactical session first workout in CIV 

Jose Peseiro has given reasons why there was no tactical session for the Super Eagles players in their first workout in Ivory Coast on Wednesday. 

The three-time African champions have started preparations for their Africa Cup of Nations opener with Equatorial Guinea, with a training session held on the same day they arrived in Abidjan. 

After the long trip to Ivory Coast, taking into account that the team had a stopover in Lagos from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the Super Eagles' training session on Wednesday was not rigorous.

Peseiro has urged his players to be completely focused before their opening game of the tournament against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, January 14. 

"The training today was for recovery after the long trip, presentations, CAF meetings and the videos for everybody. Because of that we couldn't do tactical and conditioning training to recover well for tomorrow's practise," Peseiro told NFF on Wednesday.  

"Of course, it is a difficult tournament. Equatorial Guinea did better than us in the last AFCON. It's a good team but we want to win.

"We want to be one hundred percent focused, not only in the training, in the meals, rest, meetings. All the activities we must put our maximum focus."

Peseiro underlined that there are no room for errors in Nigeria's first two AFCON fixtures against Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast.

"This match, the next match we can not make mistakes, we have to put one hundred percent or more each one and do a collective game to win our first match. It's important for us.

"We cannot have an excuse about the weather, we need to understand that and adapt well and do our best despite the weather and humidity."

Nigeria have not lost an opening game at the AFCON since they were beaten 3-1 by Egypt in 2010.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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