Nigerian national team captain Wilfried Ndidi says the team remains focus on achieving victory as they prepare to face Uganda in the ongoing AFCON tournament later today, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition in Morocco, but they face a very tough test against the Cranes who are hoping to secure victory to boost their own chances.
The three-time African champions started off on a strong note, defeating Tanzania 2-1 in their opening encounter with goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman.
It was looking to a relatively easy encounter in their second game when they faced Tunisia, after they raced to a three-goal lead.
Victor Osimhen grabbed his first of the tournament, while Ndidi and Lookman added further goals in a very dominant performance.
However, lapse in concentration saw the team concede twice in the final 20 minutes of the clash as the Tunisians mounted a late fightback.
They were able to hold on for the win as they booked their spot in the round of 16 of the competition, underlining their status as one of the tournament favorites.
Everything Ndidi said ahead of Uganda clash
Wilfried Ndidi was named Nigeria’s captain ahead of the AFCON tournament following the retirements of Ahmed Musa and William Troost-Ekong.
The decision has proved to be a motivation for the Besiktas midfielder, who has been very influential in the middle of the park for the team and he was also on the scoresheet in the win over Tunisia.
“We cannot be carried away, because we still have to win to be first in the group,” Ndidi revealed.
“So, we have to stay focused on what we want to achieve. The most important thing is to win all our matches.
The people in Fes are giving us high spirits, and they are really nice to us. It’s been really, really exciting being here. We’ll give our best to remain here. The weather is good, but the match against Tunisia was intense. So, it was normal for us to get tired”, he continued.
“Our fans should continue to support us. We are trying everything we can to make the country proud and Nigerians happy.
“Our aim is to give Nigerians a happy New Year present by winning on Tuesday. We want to win this AFCON title.”
The midfielder who reminisced Nwankwo Kanu’s iconic celebration at the 1996 Olympic games after he netted Nigeria’s second last weekend, also revealed the inspiration behind the team’s performances.
“Every player wants to be in the national team, but even the younger players, we’re the ones they look up to because I was once there, looking up to great players like [John] Mikel Obi and the rest,” Ndidi stated.
“My dream also was to be part of it and I’m honoured to be here.”
Nigeria face Uganda later today, although history does not favour them as the Cranes hold a better advantage in previous meetings.
However, today’s encounter promises to be a totally different ball-game, with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 PM.
