Former Nigeria national football team head coach José Peseiro has reaffirmed his belief that anything short of a final appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations falls below expectation for a nation of Nigeria’s stature.

Reflecting on the team’s third-place finish at the 2026 AFCON in Morocco, Peseiro acknowledged the effort under current coach Eric Chelle but insisted that Nigeria’s ambitions must always be set higher.

Having guided the Super Eagles to the final of the 2023 tournament—their first since their 2013 triumph—Peseiro sees that achievement as the minimum benchmark going forward. In that final, Nigeria narrowly lost 2–1 to Ivory Coast national football team, but their run was widely praised as a return to elite continental competitiveness.

According to him, Nigeria’s rich football history and reputation demand consistent appearances in the final, not just respectable finishes. While the third-place result in 2026 showed promise—especially with the team’s attacking quality—it still fell short of the standard he believes the Super Eagles should uphold.

For Peseiro, the message is clear: progress is important, but for a football powerhouse like Nigeria, true success is measured by reaching—and winning—the biggest matches on the continent.