Ahead of Nigeria’s crucial clash against Sierra Leone, Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has revealed that he and his teammates plan to win the match for the Nigerian fans, stating that they deserve the victory for sticking with them through the good and bad times.
The Napoli striker, who has been in impeccable form all through the season, is confident in the team’s chances of claiming a victory over the Leone Stars and subsequently booking a ticket to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next year, but has asked for them not to underestimate their opponent as they look to achieve their goal.
“The game on [Sunday] is a huge one for us as we can’t write off Sierra Leone if we don’t want a repeat of what happened against Guinea-Bissau in Abuja in March,” Osimhen said in an interview with Afrosport.
“They have quality players that can do the job for them, and they have a solid man as their coach. But we are a good group too, and we have quality players too, so we have to take the game seriously and do the right things.
“If we follow the strategy of our coach and listen to his instructions, we will do well and achieve our aim. We want to play for the fans, win them back on our side because they have been so good to us with their support, and also try to get the ticket to the 2023 AFCON,” Osimhen added.
The No. 9, who is expected to lead the line for Nigeria this weekend when they take on the Leone Stars at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia, said he is always happy to don the colors of the national team and praised former head coach Gernot Rohr for handing him is international debut.
“Playing for the Super Eagles feels very good, and I would like to say a big thank you to Gernot Rohr, who handed me my first call-up.”
“So, I am very happy to be here among these superb players and to play with the likes of team captain Ahmed Musa, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, and the others,” he concluded.
The Super Eagles dropped into second place in the Group A standings following Guinea-Bissau’s 1-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe on Wednesday. They will be in action on Sunday, June 18, for matchday 5 of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, knowing that a draw or a win will seal their qualification for the continental competition.
The game will kick off at 5pm WAT this Sunday and you can watch it live on Afrosport TV on Free TV channel 730 and on VIDIVU from 4:30pm.
