Super Eagles coach, José Peseiro, praised the performance of the South African team, even though his side defeated them to reach the finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles secured a 4-2 victory on penalties after a thrilling 1-1 draw in the regular and extra time at the Stade de la Paix on Wednesday.

José Peseiro said that his team earned their spot in the finals, but it was not an easy task.

“The players deserve to be in the finals, it’s a very good victory against a good team. I said it earlier that South Africa have the best of organization because they play together and they created more problems for us. It was very difficult to beat them,” he said after the game.

The Portuguese coach also acknowledged the strength of South Africa, which he attributed to their unity and teamwork. He also congratulated Hugo Broos, the coach of South Africa, for assembling such a team.

“I think it was very difficult to beat them. Huge congratulations to Hugo Broos, who put this team together. They played well.”