Ex-international Wahidi Akanni has slammed Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro for the poor performance of the Super Eagles during the African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifiers.

In an interview on Tuesday, Akanni said Nigeria avenged the defeat in the first match by defeating Guinea-Bissau at home to retake the lead in Group A.

Akanni urged the head coach of Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, to get his tactics right, which he said were deficient in the last two games. 

He added that the changes made by the coach in the two games did not make any difference.

“His selection of players was also faulty, with strikers not playing in the right positions. For instance, Onuachu was made to play together with Osimhen,” stated Akanni. “Some of the positionings are obviously not working, so that should be looked into.”

On the June 12 qualifying match against Sierra Leone, Akanni, a member of the Nigeria national 1985 FIFA U-20 bronze medal-winning team, told journalists that with good tactics, the Super Eagles should not struggle.

“Sierra Leone should not be that difficult with the calibre of players we have, but the match should be addressed differently,” he explained. “We should give some other new players the opportunity to showcase their talents, particularly in the midfield.”

Akanni added, “The coach shouldn’t be so rigid and should play others invited to camp; every player brings something unique to the table.”

Super Eagles lead Group A with nine points. Guinea-Bissau are second with seven points. Sierra Leone have five points, and Sao Tome are bottom of the group with one point. 

(NAN)