Samuel Chukwueze spoke on the odds against Sierra Leone
Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze was so certain that the Super Eagles would defeat Sierra Leone on Saturday that he had recommended supporters to start booking their flights to the Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles were getting set for what could be a challenging AFCON qualifying test.
Nigeria and Chukwueze already had their sights set beyond Sunday’s match against the Leone Stars, which was contested in Liberia. This was because of coach Jose Peseiro’s frequently expressed desire to win the Africa Cup of Nations title at his first attempt.
“Nigerians should expect a win because we have to qualify for the next African Nations Cup. They should just book their tickets because we are going to win and go there [to the finals in Ivory Coast],” Chukwueze said ahead of the game.
The Winger did not stop there, saying the target was to win the whole shebang: “We want to win the AFCON for sure, because we have great young talents and we have young players who are actually ready to fight.
“For me, I need to win a trophy with the Super Eagles because I cannot play to the end of my career without winning any trophy with the Super Eagles. This is our time.”
The Super Eagles have only won one of their last three games against the opponents they will face on Sunday, drawing the other two. The stunning Leone Stars comeback from 4-1 down to tie 4-4 in 2020 was the most shocking of those two draws.
As a result, skipper Ahmed Musa’s calmer and more knowledgeable brain is advising caution. 2013 champion Musa advises the squad to initially concentrate on the short-term objective.
Nigeria had a nine-point lead over the other teams in the group until Thursday, when Guinea Bissau overtook them following a 1-0 victory against So Tomé e Principe. With a win, Sierra Leone can cause some difficulty for both the Super Eagles and Guinea Bissau and even threaten to unseat one if they go on to win the last match against the new group leaders in September.
Nigeria will clinch a spot with a victory and 12 points. Losing is not absolutely detrimental because they may still qualify with a victory over So Tomé e Principe in September, but it would unquestionably seriously jeopardize Peseiro’s aspirations.
