Crotone of Italy striker, Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo (Simy) has declared that the Super Eagles will play to win against Seychelles in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
While many pundits and fans would be tempted to write Seychelles off, considering their lowly status in African football, compared to Nigeria’s strong global pedigree, ‘Simy’ says the Eagles will not underrate their hosts.
Rather than take Saturday’s game with levity, ‘Simy’ stressed that all the Nigerian players will take the fixture with the seriousness that it deserves, as they go all out for maximum points away from home.
The former Portugal-based towering striker admitted he would love to play a part in the action for the visitors, but interjected that any of the Eagles players selected by the coach, Gernot Rohr, will give a good account of themselves.
He thanked older players in the squad for encouraging younger ones and reckoned that a blend of talent in the Eagles has been made possible by cordial relations among them all.
‘Simy,’ who made his Eagles debut in a friendly against DR Congo in Port Harcourt in May and got two cameo roles at the World Cup, said he would cherish playing the 2019 AFCON qualifier against Seychelles as well as a friendly against Liberia on Tuesday in Monrovia.
He said: “It is always a great feeling and privilege to be called up to represent my country. I am ready to keep working hard to justify every chance given to me serve my country.
“The expectations are always the same for the Super Eagles – play to win – and that is the focus and we are working hard to be prepared.
“We have a strong base of capable and very talented players who have been here for a while and this will help the new ones settle in and get the job done. We will focus on doing the job the best we can.”
