Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro says the hard work starts now for his side after they booked a place in the last-16 of the Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-0 Group A victory over Guinea-Bissau on Monday.
The Super Eagles will face the runner-up in Group C in the knockout rounds, which is likely to be Guinea unless they defeat pool leaders Senegal when they clash on Tuesday. Cameroon could also enter the fray with a big win over Gambia and a Guinea loss.
Nigeria took seven points from their three games to advance comfortably in their pool, but just three goals in that time suggests a side that is yet to really click into gear.
“We’re ready for meet any team,” Peseiro said. “I am not 100 per cent happy because we deserved to finish top of the group. We deserved to beat Equatorial Guinea (in their first game) and then we would have had nine points.
“But it was not an easy match (vs Guinea Bissau). The other team tried to get their first victory in the competition. We created the chances to win by more than a goal.”
Peseiro says the knockout rounds are a different ball game compared to the pool stages and that mistakes, especially in front of goals, came be catastrophic.
“It’s a new competition that’s starting for us. The most important part of a competition, the knockout matches. We will have to be more clinical in front of goal because the slightest mistake will be fatal for us.”
Peseiro played down an injury to captain William Troost-Ekong that meant he missed the Guinea-Bissau game. “It’s a small injury, not big injury,” he said.
Whoever Nigeria play in the last-16, their clash will be on Saturday in Abidjan.