Super Eagles of Nigeria vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong is adamant that the players possess the proper mindset to do well in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
William Troost-Ekong stated this following the Super Eagles’ abysmal performance in their opening game at the 2023 AFCON which ended in a 1-1 draw against lowly-rated Equatorial Guinea.
During the game, Troost-Ekong and his teammates had to fight from a goal down to grab a 1-1 draw courtesy of a header from the team’s talisman, Victor Osimhen.
This terrible start from the three-time winners of the tournament has raised fear in the minds of football enthusiasts ahead of their second group stage game which is against the hosts, Ivory Coast on Thursday.
Hence, Jose Peseiro’s men are currently under pressure ahead of their clash with the hosts, who already lead Group A with three points after winning their opening game 2-0 against Guinea-Bissau.
After the 1-1 draw on Sunday, the attitude of the players towards winning a fourth AFCON title was questioned, but Troost-Ekong said they were not unaware of the task ahead as he confirmed that the team had a meeting ahead of their next game.
“We’ve spoken about this so much, we have Kenneth (Omeruo) and (Ahmed) Musa who have won the AFCON with us and they told us exactly how that journey was. Some of the guys like myself, who were there in 2019, also explained exactly how it was to get to the semi-final and take the bronze,” William Troost-Ekong said.
“You know in football, it’s not always when you want something that you get it. The other teams too, you have to respect them as well.”
As it stands, the Super Eagles must not be defeated when they face Ivory Coast on Thursday. A draw or a win will keep them comfortably in the competition.
If they beat Ivory Coast, a draw against Guinea-Bissau on Monday will be enough to seal a place in the round of 16. But if they lose to Ivory Coast, they must beat Guinea-Bissau and hope that Ivory Coast beat Equatorial Guinea.
