Former Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has called on the Super Eagles to step up their performance ahead of their semifinal showdown with Morocco, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles face the host nation at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat tonight, hoping to end their unbeaten record at home.
The Atlas Lions are the number one ranked nation in Africa and have held been flawless in front of their home fans for more than a year.
The team has enjoyed remarkable improvements since Walid Regragui took charge and they will be no pushovers in their semifinal showdown.
Nigeria are also a force to reckon with, going by their performances so far at the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament. The Super Eagles have bounced back from World Cup disappointment to reach the last four in Morocco with a 100% record, winning all of their five games.
In their quarterfinal clash against Algeria, they delivered a statement performance in their best game so far at the tournament as they progressed from the clash with a 2-0 result.
However, it was not the scoreline that was the most impressive part of the game, but the way they decimated the Fennec Foxes and limited their attacking threat.
Algeria enjoyed less possession and could only muster three attempts throughout the match with none on target. Infact, they were nowhere near the Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali up until the hour mark of the game as the Super Eagles exerted their dominance on that clash.
Morocco poses a different threat entirely and will be buoyed by the crowd support.
Ighalo speaks ahead of Nigeria-Morocco semifinal showdown
Odion Ighalo, who won the Golden boot award at the 2019 African Cup of Nations, guiding Nigeria to a third-placed finish expects a thrilling contest in Rabat later tonight.
However, the former Manchester United forward says the Super Eagles must play at a top level if they are to get a favourable result from the clash.
“The players must be mentally ready for this match. They will face great pressure against the Moroccan national team. As you know, the Moroccan team is young, and they possess speed and agility in handling the ball”, Ighalo revealed.
“If Nigeria wants to win this match, the players must exert more effort than they did against Algeria and silence that stadium. I believe they have the ability to achieve that.”
Nigeria and Morocco face-off by 9 PM tonight at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, with the winner of the encounter advancing to the final on January 18, for a clash against Senegal or Egypt, who meet in the other semifinal clash.
