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AFCON

Like Waldrum with Super Falcons, Peseiro may go on prolonged losing streak with Super Eagles

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Nigerians are getting used to resort to calculators when it comes to qualifiers for major tournaments. This may come to fore again after this Monday night duel with Guinea Bissau.

Already, with a 2-0 defeat of Sao Tome on Sunday, Sierra Leone are already close to overtaking Nigeria who tumbled from the top of the Group A table to the second.

Should they lose again tonight against inspired Guinea Bissau, Nigeria will just be a point ahead of Sierra Leone who will hope for a possible upset when they host the Super Eagles in the match day 4.

Portuguese Jose Pereiro who handles the Super Eagles is the man in the eye of the storm. Another  Super Eagles’ loss to Guinea Bissau may spell doom for him. It will be a fifth consecutive loss by Nigeria, a rare occurrence as Nigeria last had a run of four-match loss 42 years ago.

The Portuguese has lost four of his six matches so far. A fifth loss may jeorpadise Nigeria’s qualification let alone the dream of winning the AFCON final slated for Cote d’Ivoire next year.

It is in similar fashion that the Super Falcons’ coach, Randy Waldrum went on a seven-match losing streak before the duck was broken with a 1-0 defeat of Costa Rica last month.

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Peseiro may not have a privilege of seven matches without a win as that instantly eliminate the Super Eagles from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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