Nigeria head coach José Peseiro says the travelling fatigue was the main reason behind their subpar performance in the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe on Sunday afternoon.
After a 1-1 draw in Uyo, Nigeria – the Super Eagles dropped points again in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against The Warriors, who hosted them in Rwanda.
The 4,058 km journey is about 10 hours by flight, with a three-hour bus journey to the stadium in Butare, where Walter Musona and Kelechi Iheanacho netted the goals at the Huye Stadium.
“It was a tough, difficult trip from Nigeria in the flight, many hours, the players didn’t rest enough for quick play at the same level,” Peseiro said about the draw, as per Pulse Sport.
The former Sporting Lisbon mentor described the first half as ‘very bad’ and his senior midfielder Alex Iwobi went on to echo the sentiments of the coach.
“He’s already said the travel was a lot for us, after the game (against Lesotho) we had to fly four hours then another three-hour coach down here which wasn’t easy.
“But as a player, we shouldn’t use that as an excuse, we’re professional enough and we have lots of quality in the side.”
South Africa will now have the chance to move four points clear of the Super Eagles and Zimbabwe before they meet next year in Group C.
