Nigeria manager José Peseiro has called on his side to be more clinical up front despite boasting the most vigorous defense at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, CAFonline reports.

The Super Eagles are into the semi-finals after a 1-0 win over Angola, representing their fourth clean sheet at the competition.

Quietly and without fanfare, Nigeria is steadily advancing in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 with a clash with South Africa on Wednesday.

The coach and his players are now two matches away from a fourth triumph for Nigeria.

While praising Nigeria’s defensive solidity, Peseiro hopes to see improvements in attack.

“Once again, we played without conceding and scored a goal, but I would have liked more. The team could have created more opportunities,” he said.

With just six goals scored in five games, the Portuguese feel Nigeria aren’t capitalizing on their quality.

“We are a quality team. Angola was excellent, but we had more luck. I remain satisfied with my players but want us to be more efficient,” Peseiro added.

The manager did admit that injury absences haven’t helped chance creation.

“We’re missing key creators like Iheanacho and Aribo, so it’s been hard. But others must now step up,” he noted.

As Nigeria chases a fourth AFCON crown, Peseiro knows finding a clinical edge could be decisive.

On Wednesday, a victory against South Africa at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké (5:00 PM GMT) would bring them closer to this critical goal.

The Super Eagles have ground-out results thanks to their miserly defense. But should they rediscover their scoring touch, Peseiro may lead Nigeria back to the pinnacle of African football.