Osimhen defended by Peseiro after Nigeria struggles vs Guinea-Bissau - 'Super Eagles striker feels pressure and stress'

Victor Osimhen, NigeriaBackpage
  • Osimhen with 21 league goals for Napoli this season
  • Struggled to score vs G. Bissau
  • Peseiro defends his key striker

WHAT HAPPENED: Osimhen struggled to get shots on target in the entire 180 minutes plus against Guinea-Bissau.

The Super Eagles lost by a solitary goal in Abuja but avenged the loss on Monday with a victory by the same margin.

However, the closest Osimhen came was hitting the inside of the upright in Bissau but the ball bounced back into play and eventually, the danger was cleared.

Peseiro has now explained why it is not easy for the Napoli forward to shine for the national team as he has done at the club level.

WHAT HE SAID: "Victor is among the top scorers in Europe but it happens. Sometimes people complain about the players, it's not true they are not committed. The players come here and feel the pressure, they feel the stress," Peseiro told the media.

"Osimhen came here to fight for our shirt, for the Super Eagles. Osimhen now feels the pressure more with our national team than in Napoli, it's not good.

Victor Osimhen Torino NapoliGetty Images

"I spoke with him, the first match, he started the match in Nigeria. He started feeling the pressure - I need to score, I need to do everything well.

"When a player puts it in his mind I need to do everything well, sometimes he doesn't do well, but he made a fantastic sacrifice.

"When our players put on the shirt to defend the Super Eagles, they are under more pressure. The fans, and people need to understand that. They feel too much pressure because they want to do well for the country, family, flag, and Super Eagles. That moment, they commit more mistakes, and they don't do things well."

AND WHAT IS MORE: The tactician has further revealed his concern after the two matches against their Group A opponent.

"We could have won 6-1 in Abuja and 5-0 here in Bissau [on Monday] because we played better on Friday. "But that is football, sometimes you play better than your opponents, but the result will show otherwise," Peseiro concluded.

Zaidu Sanusi & Alex Iwobi of NigeriaBackpagePix

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Osimhen has 21 goals in 23 Serie A matches for Napoli who are aiming at winning their first top-flight league title in more than three decades.

Despite not scoring for Nigeria in the last two games, the 24-year-old's presence was vital for the Super Eagles, who are now on nine points and at the summit of Group A of the Afcon qualifiers. A point in their next game will seal their place in the finals in Ivory Coast.

WHAT NEXT: Peseiro will definitely want to win their next game against Sierra Leone in June and start preparations for the biennial tournament.