Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro has defended his choice of players for the Africa Cup of Nations even as he said only quality players in the local league will be invited into the national team.
Peseiro spoke on Saturday in Abidjan at the team’s news conference ahead of Super Eagles’ opening match with Equatorial Guinea 4 p.m. Sunday at AFCON 23.
The Portuguese, who expressed readiness to invite every good performer, however, urged Nigerians to understand that every player invited is from Nigeria, irrespective of where he plies his trade.
Expressing his wish to see more games in the local league, Peseiro observed that the few good players in the Nigeria Premier Football League leave the country “after just a good season”.
“I have not said that no player in the local league can play for the Super Eagles, but I need to see if you have the qualities and capacities to play.
“Ojo is in the team, but if I see other players with quality, I will invite them. We coaches are not stupid.
“I need to choose the best players; if a local league player is better than the one outside, I will call him”, said the coach.
Peseiro noted that the leagues in Africa have to improve in view of the quality of talent in the continent.
NAN recalls that the Portuguese has been under attack for failing to invite players in the local league into the national soccer team.
He has, however, explained that his counterparts in other African countries are not having more than one or two local players in their teams, while calling for an improvement in Africa’s local leagues.
