Ex-Super Eagles Media Officer, Babafemi Raji, has disclosed José Peseiro's first profound statement following his appointment as head coach of Nigeria.

Peseiro, 64, was officially appointed as coach of Super Eagles in May 2022, replacing Augustin Eguavoen, who served as interim coach following the dismissal of Gernot Rohr in December 2021.

After close to two years in charge, the former Sporting Lisbon manager left the role in February after the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

Despite guiding the Super Eagles to the final of the AFCON, the Portuguese gaffer could not reach an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over a possible extension.

In an exclusive interview with Naija News, Babafemi Raji, revealed that Peseiro's first statement after becoming Super Eagles head coach was his intention to win the AFCON, a feat he came very close to achieving.

"When he came in, he [José Peseiro] told us 'Good evening, guys, my name is Jose Santos Peseiro. I’m here to win the AFCON'. That was the first thing he said, the former Brila FM journalist said.

"When he made that statement, I took it up with a positive mindset. Anytime we met or assembled in camp, he kept telling us that the mission was to win the AFCON and when we got to Cote d’Ivoire, the first game was a draw against Equatorial Guinea and from then on, the team resolved to win each game.

"Game after game, we resolved to win… Every department, every unit, whether the medical team, the security, everyone, the team had to work hand in hand to ensure we did well," he concluded.