Former Nigeria midfielder Garba Lawal has cautioned the Super Eagles against overconfidence ahead of their Round of 16 clash with Mozambique at the ongoing AFCON tournament, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles face Mozambique in the first knockout round on Monday, hoping for a victory to seal progress into the quarterfinals of the competition.
The West African giants completed a clean sweep of Group C, recording a 100% record in their three matches.
Nigeria defeated Tanzania 2-1 in their opening encounter, before recording another impressive 3-2 win over Tunisia, although they had to hold off a late fightback from the North Africans.
In their final group match against Uganda, a much-changed side proved too much to handle on their way to an impressive 3-1 victory against the Cranes.
Their reward is a clash against Mozambique, who have progressed beyond the group stage for the first time in their history.
The Mambas finished third in a very difficult Group F, losing to defending champions Ivory Coast and also Cameroon, while their only victory came in a 3-2 result against Gabon in their second match.
Everything Lawal said ahead of Nigeria’s clash with Mozambique
Garba Lawal was part of the historic Nigerian Dream Team that won gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics games and also played at four AFCON tournaments, winning one silver medal and three bronze medals.
The former Super Eagles forward expressed satisfaction with the nation’s display so far, but warned them against complacency as they prepare to face Mozambique in a high-stakes encounter.
“I was very impressed with what they did in the group stage but they must not be complacent or even underrate the Mozambicans”, Lawal stated.
“The team has really done well in winning all their games so far. It reminds me of what we did in 2022 in Cameroon but we must now be careful so that what happened then will not happen again.
The team has been improving with every game and we also have squad depth as we saw against Uganda but now, it is the knockout stages. The team must be ready. I believe we will defeat them but the boys must be fired up for it. I wish them all the best”, he continued.
The former Super Eagles international also called for improvement in the defensive area of the team, with their lack of clean sheets causing a major concern.
“I am okay with the midfield and attack but we must improve in the defensive areas against Mozambique who are very quick.”
What next for the Super Eagles?
Nigeria played all three of their group stage matches at the Fez Stadium and return to the same venue for their round of 16 clash against Mozambique.
The Super Eagles are favourites to advance to the last eight of the tournament, where they could face either Algeria or DR Congo, who face-off in their round of 16 tie on Tuesday evening.
A win in that clash could then set up a possible semifinal clash with host nation Morocco, South Africa or Cameroon later in the tournament.
