Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has revealed the rationale behind his decision to pick 25 players for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Portuguese had the chance to pick 27 players for the competition but instead chose to name 25 players on his roster for the biennial competition.
Peseiro said he took the decision with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The former Saudi Arabia and Venezuela tactician further said that managing 25 players will be easier for him.
“The number is from the Nigeria Football Federation. NFF decided to take 25 players. I agreed, 25 players is enough to manage. Since the first moment NFF decided to take 25 players,” Peseiro told the Super Eagles media.
“We did a big list of 41 players and these chosen players worked with us until now. The performance in the selection because some players show good performance in the clubs but didn’t show in our national team.
“It can happen the same in the opposite, some players play very well in the national team, they didn’t play well in the clubs – it’s different atmosphere, different context.
“The third one is the current form, if they are playing well, if they show the good conditions for their clubs for us. I try to bring four fullbacks, five central defenders, five midfielders, four wingers and four strikers.
“Some players give more deep moments, some players give more support, some players give more connection. We tried to coordinate these characteristics and these solutions for our system, for our game.”
The Super Eagles will open camp for the competition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday.
The West Africans are drawn in Group A with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
The three-time African champions will take on Equatorial Guinea in their opening fixture at the Alssanne Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on Sunday, January 14.