Soccer

Osimhen not concerned about lack of goals as Nigeria march on

“Those who know me, they know I don’t put myself before the team,” mentioned the Napoli striker.

Nigeria star Victor Osimhen insisted he does not care about his lack of goals on the Africa Cup of Nations after the Super Eagles beat Angola 1-0 on Friday to progress to the semi-finals.

ALSO READ: Lookman goal takes Nigeria into AFCON semifinals

They got here out on prime within the last-eight tie on the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan due to a solitary Ademola Lookman purpose late within the first half.

Osimhen discovered the online 1 / 4 of an hour from the tip when he headed in a Lookman free-kick, however that effort was disallowed for offside.

“Those who know me, they know I don’t put myself before the team. If my goal comes, they come,” the Napoli striker instructed broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique.

“I need to assist the crew with goals of course, but when I’m not scoring I’m defending. If I’m not defending I’m preventing for them.

“I simply need my crew to be in the best mentality to win this event.

“It is a big prize for us, as an individual and also as a country. So I think we have the right mentality to make sure we bring the trophy home.”

Nigeria now advance to a semi-final towards both Cape Verde or South Africa subsequent Wednesday in Bouake as they continue to be on monitor to assert a fourth continental title and first since 2013.

“We had to make sure we went into the competition with the right mentality,” added Osimhen, who was substituted in stoppage time after taking a number of knocks over the course of the match.

“We have the quality, we have the squad to win games and to reach the final for me.”

Atalanta ahead Lookman, the previous England Under-21 worldwide, has relatively stolen the limelight from Osimhen, his winner towards Angola coming after he scored each goals within the 2-0 defeat of Cameroon within the final 16.

Osimhen, in the meantime, has not discovered the online since Nigeria’s opening 1-1 draw towards Equatorial Guinea.

Moses Simon, who arrange Lookman’s purpose and was named man of the match, mentioned the Nigerian gamers had been not nervous about their star ahead’s lack of goals.

“The mood is very good in the camp. We don’t even think about this and I believe he doesn’t think about scoring,” Simon remarked.

“He thinks about victory. If he has the opportunity he will score. But the important thing to say is we just want to win, we don’t care who scores.”

ALSO READ: Masuaku free-kick clinches AFCON semi-finals place for DR Congo

Coach Jose Peseiro added: “I’m very proud of my gamers. They deserve it.

“They do everything for me, for the Super Eagles, for the 220 million people. They fight, they fight, they fight. It is not easy this tournament.”


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