What Nigerian players are saying ahead of Morocco CHAN final

Atletico Madrid

Home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria will on Sunday play Morocco in the final of African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The Eagles survived knock-out stage scares to secure a place in the final match against the hosts.

Although he is ruled out due to injury, Captain of the side, Ikechukwu Ezenwa is full of confidence that his side have the prowess to withstand whatever the host throw at the team.

“Firstly, I want to thank my team mates for fighting through when I was taken out of our match,” Ezenwa told PageOne.ng .

“We are a compact side, even when we were a man down, the players stayed together, and that is the spirit with which we are going into the match against Morocco.

“Lifting the trophy here on their home ground will make us all happy, and I think it is not impossible at all. We know their fans will come all out to support the team but we will remain focus.”

Nigeria faces a side that has scored a total of 12 goals and conceded only twice against Guinea and Libya. It should also be noted that eight of the goals scored is from the boots of striker Ayoub El-Kaabi who currently holds the highest goal scorer status in the history of the championship. Meanwhile, Nigeria has also managed quite a number of goals, scoring total of seven goals conceding just two as well.

“We are looking forward to walking into the pitch and taking the trophy to Nigeria,” Defender Kalu Orji who also spoke with our correspondent said.

“I and my team mates are aware of the scoring ability of the Moroccans, but it is our job to ensure we stop him and his mates from getting past our defense. We all know it will be difficult on the day considering the massive support they will also enjoy from their fans, but what happens on the field of play is what we will focus on not the supporters.”

Man of the match contender in the quarter final match against Sudan, Dele Ajiboye, maintained that absolute concentration will help his side survive in the final when they file out. With revenge on his mind, he also recalled the defeat in the U-23 2012 Olympic qualifier.

“If we must get anything from here, I think we will have work harder than we’ve, ever done in this champions,” Ajiboye noted. For me, it is also time to get our pound of flesh going by what they did to us in 2011 when we came for the Olympic qualifiers.”

Nigeria went past Angola and Sudan in the knock out stages while Morocco edged Namibia and Libya to book their place in the all-important affair. Stade Mohammed V will come alive when these team file out on Sunday as over 45,000 fans among other dignitaries are expected to grace the final.

Meanwhile, Libya battles Sudan for the third place position on Saturday evening in Marrakech.

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