The Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Rigobert Song, said that his team will be play the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Saturday with respect.
Song said this on Friday in Abidjan at the team’s news conference ahead of the round of 16 of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
The former Cameroon captain explained that Nigeria has strong players individually and collectively but they will approach the game with all seriousness.
“We will stick to the positive, we are trying to improve our game daily. Nigeria is a good team.
“It is not going to be easy but we are going to take them serious. When we play a team that is serious, we will be serious too” Song said.
The Cameroonian coach said they are going to be organised, tactically and mentally, because they don’t have the luxury to make mistakes anymore.
“We have conceded lots of goals but we will find a way to concede less tomorrow. We need to believe in ourselves to give the best we can” he said.
On his part, Jose Peseiro, said it is going to be a tough match because they are against eight times champions, adding that both Cameroon and Nigeria are big teams.
“We know what we must do if we want to beat Cameroon, we don’t want to concede goals, at least we must score one.
“Our objective is to win the match, we know the power of the opponents, the quality of the players and coach. We believe too much in us” Peseiro said.
FC Nantes winger, Moses Simon, who accompanied Peseiro to the news conference, said himself and his teammates will give their all to win on Saturday.
All Super Eagles players train ahead of Cameroon clash
Meanwhile, all the Super Eagles players at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte D’Ivoire, took part in the team’s training session on Friday in Abidjan.
The training was in preparation of the first game of the round of 16 matches against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on Saturday.
BRANDPOWER reports that the round of 16 encounter is billed for the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
BRANDPOWER reports that all the players, including 23-year-old Alhassan Yusuf, who sustained an injury in Super Eagles’ opening game against Equatorial Guinea, trained.
Another player who missed the last game against Guinea Bissau, is the Super Eagles’ stand-in captain, William Ekong, who also took part in full training on Friday at the Ecole Nationale de là Police, Abidjan.
The coach of the team, Jose Peseiro, said at a news conference ahead of the Cameroon game that Leicester City of England player, Kelechi Iheanacho, may get his chance to play for the first time in this competition.
BRANDPOWER reports that Nigeria and Cameroon have faced each other seven times in the Africa Cup of Nations, with each team winning three and drawing one.
Cameroon won the finals of the 1984, 1988, and 2000 AFCON tournaments.
Nigeria then overcame Cup winners Cameroon 2-1 in the 2004 quarter-finals, and won 3-2 in Egypt’s Round of 16 in 2019.
In 1988, both teams drew 1-1 in the group stage, with Samuel Okwaraji scoring after only two minutes in Rabat, and Roger Milla equalising with a header.
BRANDPOWER reports that the match is scheduled for 9:00 p.m.
