Nigeria Coach Jose Peseiro believes he has enough players at his disposal to replace injured defender William Troost-Ekong when they face Sao Tome and Principe in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Monday.
The Watford defender had suffered a muscle injury during the Super Eagles opener against Sierra Leone and did not make Coach Peseiro’s squad for the trip to Morocco.
In the game Nigeria won 2-1, the 28-year-old managed 82 minutes before making way for Spain-based Kenneth Omeruo.
Speaking ahead of the game, Peseiro was asked about his plans in the defensive area without Troost-Ekong, and he told reporters as quoted by allnigeriasoccer: “Ekong is not here but I have other players, I have other centre-backs.
“Of course, we want to improve our defensive process. Should be able to play a good centre-back.”
Meanwhile, the Portuguese Manager has underlined the importance of picking the best starting XI in their assignments so that they can be at the top.
“We want to be the team at the top of the table, so we must fight hard against the opponents. Every match, we must commit ourselves fully to winning it,” Peseiro continued.
“As I said earlier in the week, Nigeria have a huge pedigree and they also have both quality and quantity of players. It is important that we select the best all the time to win the big games.”
