Coach Jose Peseiro has been unapologetic about the football he has played at this AFCON – “Economic football”, which stresses on keeping the zero at the back and hitting the opponents on the counter.
It is the football that wins tournaments even if the style is not popular among the fans.
That is again what the Portuguese will stick with as he tries to navigate the Super Eagles past the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon tomorrow to reach the quarterfinal of the AFCON, where their reward will be a kind draw against either Angola or Namibia.
SCORENigeria can report that in specific terms, Peseiro will maintain the 3-4-3 formation that saw his team sneak past both AFCON hosts Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea Bissau by the odd goal.
This system evolves to five defenders when the team are defending to the frustration of the other team.
He will also keep faith with mostly the same players who have got the team to this stage of the competition.
He will therefore count on Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka to bring from the first whistle the non-stop energy and battling style Brentford he brings.
That also means even midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who has made a steady recovery from a thigh injury during the opening group game against Equatorial Guinea, will not start.
Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho will again stay out despite impressing in training most probably because of a fallout with the coach.
