Rivers United goalkeeper Victor Sochima has stated his readiness to help Nigeria beat Sierra Leone in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Sunday.
Sochima was handed his debut invitation to the Super Eagles for the double-header fixture against Guinea-Bissau in March and he is hoping to get playing time against the Leone Stars at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia.
After helping Rivers United to a third-place finish at the just-concluded NPFL Super 6 playoffs, the 24-year-old is excited about the opportunity to be among the three goalkeepers summoned for this month’s international duty.
Sochima told Afrosport: “I feel happy to be a part of the Super Eagles and I’m ready to give my best hopefully, I’m selected to play for the country against Sierra Leone.
“The coach told us we are here to play so I am ready whenever I am called upon. Every player has his unique quality and the stadium we are going to play is familiar to me because I was opportune to play for Rivers United in that stadium during our CAF inter-club campaign so I’m aware of what the atmosphere can be like.”
Nigeria need a win against the Leone Stars to cement their qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast and the shot-stopper believes they will deliver the result in Liberia.
“I’m calm, we just need to adapt to any team we play against, so we just have to adapt quickly to the coach’s system,” he added. “It is not going to be a problem [against Sierra Leone], I can’t predict but we will play to win, no doubt it.”
