Kenneth Omeruo says the Super Eagles are in Ivory Coast for serious business and have no time for debates ahead of their quarter-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Angola on Friday.
The 30-year-old defender who was part of the Nigeria team that won the 2013 AFCON is confident that the Palancas Negras will be shown the exit door in Ivory Coast on Friday.
“We do not need to go into back-and-forth chatter with any team. The Super Eagles are in Ivory Coast for serious business,” Omeruo said.
“We have not played Angola for a long time but I remember we played them in 2012 in a friendly and it ended in a draw. I have also read of how previous encounters between the two countries have been quite close.
“There is no possibility of Friday’s match ending in a draw; a winner must emerge. So much talk has been going on. Our collective resolve is to do the talking on the pitch. The Nigeria Spirit trumps all.”
A number of the Angolan playing personnel, including captain Fredy Kulembe, have been talking about stepping on the Eagles to achieve their aim of a place in the semi-finals of Africa’s most prestigious football competition. But Omeruo insists that talk is cheap.
“We drew our first match against Equatorial Guinea and many people concluded that we are not here to compete strongly for the trophy,” Omeruo added.
“They have since admitted that we may be up to something after we defeated Cote d’Ivoire, and then Cameroon. We must continue to work hard, believe in ourselves and put in a solid shift each day and time we get onto the field.”
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