WE’LL BEAT G’BISSAU FOR NIGERIANS, VOWS OSIMHEN
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By Ajape Sefiu A.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are hoping to end their 2023 AFCON group campaign on a high note as group leaders with four points already and second in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea on goal differential.
However, former internationals and fans have advised them to tread carefully against their opponents, Guinea-Bissau.
The Super Eagles take on the team in last position at the Stade Félix Houphoüet-Boigny in Abidjan. A victory would move the Super Eagles to the top of the table, provided that Equatorial Guinea loses against Ivory Coast in the other group-final match.
Jose Peseiro’s team bounced back from a 1-1 tie in their opening match against Equatorial Guinea with a strong 1-0 victory over the hosts, Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, their opponents for today, Guinea-Bissau, lost both of their games and are out of the competition.
Guinea-Bissau stunned the Eagles with a 1-0 win against the Eagles in Abuja during the qualifiers for the 2023 AFCON.
Osimhen is one of the eighteen players who played in the team’s March 24, 2023, loss to the Wild Dogs. The players are in Ivory Coast, where they are attempting to exact revenge on the Baciro Cande team.
Eagles forward Victor Osimhen stated that his team would study the tape of their defeat to Guinea-Bissau and devise a plan to defeat their fellow West Africans.
“We know them; we played them in the qualifying series. They are a dangerous team if you let them play,” Osimhen told reporters in Abidjan.
“I think we’ll go back to the last game in which they won, and then we’ll start the game and come up really strong against them. It’s not going to be an easy game, but we’re ready to give everything for our fans and country to make them happy.”
Midfielder Alex Iwobi echoed Osimhen’s desire to give everything for the fans, as he also promised the Eagles would win to make Nigerians happy.
“The sort of players we have will always create chances, and we were able to get the one against Ivory Coast, and if we are able to get at least one and defend well, we’ll win the game (against G-Bissau).
“Nigerians aren’t happy if you don’t win; for them to be happy, you have to win, so, we are going to win to make them happy,” he said in an interview with journalist Osasu Obayiuwana on Sunday.
“We want to take the first place, and for that, we must do battle. We must do what is necessary to accomplish our mission,” Eagles coach Jose Peseiro said at the pre-match conference at the Palais de la Culture in the Treichville area of Abidjan on Sunday.
Meanwhile, there have been reactions back home, ahead of the crucial tie.
Ex-international, Tijani Babangida, an AFCON finalist on home soil in 2000, said, “Any of the three teams among Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Ivory Coast can qualify. So, the win is important, but they must know there are no pushovers. It’s a competitive game, and I expect them to grow in every game, regardless of the fact that they have won against us before.”
“I know we are going to play with caution, and again, if we could beat Ivory Coast, the morale is high, but I know they will play with caution because we have a lot of experienced players in the team. So, it will be very good for them to top the group,” 2013 AFCON winner Azubuike Egwwuekwe, noted.
Given the Eagles inconsistent run under Peseiro, some fans are wary of the Wild Dogs.
“Let’s not underestimate a wounded team; besides, we don’t have to be in a hurry to win. Let’s calm down, hold the ball, and the opportunities will come,” a fan, Adetuwo Suji, said.
Meanwhile, if Nigeria finishes at the top of the group, they are likely to face the best losing side from Group C, which could be Cameroon or even Algeria from Group D, as well as Namibia, Tunisia, or even South Africa from Group E in the round of 16.
A second-place finish will pair the Eagles against the second-place team from Group C, which is likely going to be Guinea, which beat Peseiro’s men 2-0 in a pre-tournament friendly in Abu Dhabi last week.
The most unlikely outcome is qualifying as one of the best losers, and that will be a date with the winners of Group B, Cape Verde.
Nigeria’s game against Guinea-Bissau kicks off at 6 p.m. Nigerian time, simultaneously with the other game between Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea.
The last time the Eagles and Wild Dogs clashed at the AFCON (2022), the Eagles defeated their foes 2-0, thanks to second-half goals from Umar Sadiq and Wiliam Troost-Ekong.
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