AFCON

‘It is impossible to satisfy Nigerian football fans’ – Victor Osimhen

By Nsidibe Akpan

Posted on January 21, 2024

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has suggested that it is impossible to satisfy Nigerians even if you beat your opponent 12-0.

The 25-year-old has been instrumental for the Super Eagles in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored the equaliser against Equatorial Guinea in their first game of the tournament to help the team earn a point and won the penalty that William Troost-Ekong scored to beat the host nation in the second group game.

Speaking to journalists in the Mixed Zone after the win on Thursday, the reigning African Footballer of the Year was happy for his contribution and thanked the Nigerian supporters who made their voices heard against the home 49,0000 supporters at the Stade Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe.

“We just played in front 50,000 Ivorian fans and we are few, kudos to our supporters. It was a big win for us, we deserve it, we also played a great game. The quality is to win games and we were focus from the blast of the whistle to the very end. Congratulations to the team and we will build on the momentum.”

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He also added that the pressure from Nigerians have pushed them to be better in the tournament.

“Even though we win 12-0 they (Nigerian fans) are not satisfied, it is normal. The Nigerian fans are like that and they push us to be a better team. I am happy because we will give them a lot of satisfaction. It was important to get the win (against Cote d’Ivoire), I am really happy about this.”

Nigeria will seal their qualification to the knockout stages of the competition if they get a win against familiar opponent Guinea Bissau. Having faced the African Wild Dogs on their way to the tournament which they earned a surprise 1-0 victory in Abuja in March 2023 before the Super Eagles won on the road, Osimhen is optimistic of a positive result on Monday.

“Guinea Bissau beat us once during the qualifying series, I think we will go all out to get the win and make sure we are top of the group and qualify to the next round. It is not going to be easy but we will give our all.

“The coach was really happy, it was important for us to give him the confidence. He’s been supporting us, he’s been defending us at his press conference. I am happy for him, he deserves this win. It is good to make a statement win like this one and we will continue to build on the momentum.”

Coach Jose Peseiro made changes to the team that drew against Equatorial Guinea and also changed his formation which helped the team get the result against Cote d’Ivoire. Osimhen says he enjoyed the changes which helped bring the best from the team.

“We’ve been working on the formation for the past few days, I think we mastered it, I don’t know what the coach is going to play next but I really like this formation, it gives us the clue of what we want from each other.”

On his personal game, Osimhen said: “I think I had a good game, lost a lot of chances but it is important to be able to help the team the way I did. The most important thing for me is not how I played, it is how the team came out strong and I am happy about the whole performance of the team including mine. Ofcourse, I won the Man of the Match. Thanks to the team, they made it possible for me. I don’t care about my individual brilliance, the team comes first.”

Nigeria last win the AFCON 10 years ago in 2013 and Osimhen believes the team must take the competition step by step if they are to win the trophy.

“We will take it step by step. The next game is against Guinea-Bissau, it is not going to be easy, we played them in the qualifiers and the won us in Abuja. The whole squad is ready for them, we are gone to give our all to top the group.”