Super Eagles new coach, Jose Peseiro has stated his position on the goalkeeping situation in the national team. Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho made successive costly errors against Tunisia and Ghana respectively. Peseiro in an interview said it’s the coach’s responsibility to accept fault for any player’s error and protect the players.
He talked about the loss of confidence seen in players after major errors and said the coach needs to be there for the players. “It is wrong if one coach follow the people, follow the fans. When they attack some players because you could make some mistake. In my opinion, I think they didn’t commit big mistakes. If any player makes a mistake, and there’s no protection from the coach and staff, he loses confidence,” Peseiro told Omasports.
He said it’s important that players get enough confidence from the coaches and staff as it will help their performance.
“Players must feel from me and the staff the confidence. Who’s guilty, the coach or the players? Everytime it’s the coach. If I choose my players and tell them and I put in my mind that this guy can perform, with our team, if he plays bad or commits a mistake, the coach must accept the mistake, not the players. It can happen to Maduka or Uzoho. I don’t do it (condemn players). That’s in the past now and my focus is on the present.
“For me all the players can play. For me everybody can play in the national team. If a player is bad multiple times, what can a coach do? Call him or charge him.”
