By Ghanaman
Assistant captain of the Super Eagles, William Troot-Ekong has reassured Nigerians that their mission in Ivory Coast still remains the same and that is to win the title.
The 3-time continental champions are well on course to deliver a 4th crown, but will first of all dispatch Angola in a quarter final clash on Tuesday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, with the match set to kick off at 6pm Nigerian time.
Speaking ahead of that important fixture to journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, the Dutch-born Nigerian international who’s set to earn his 69th cap in that game, revealed that he and his boys will not be complacent as they’ll be conducting their business on the pitch as usual:
“I think for us, it’s been business as usual. I think there’s always being a quiet confidence. I think that’s part and parcel of winning the game. So eventually, everyone starts joining the bandwagon. We try not to get carried away.
From the start, I think we said that we are going to believe that we can win it and we’re playing now to match the trajectory.
But it’s still a long way to go and we all know that we need to take it step by step. So, there’s a calmness, coolness in the camp, but akso quite confident”.
The winner of this tie will go on to take on either Cape Verde or South Africa will trade tackles later on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Issa Sy of Senegal has been given the nod by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take charge of the match between Angola and Nigeria as the centre referee. He’ll get assistance from fellow countrymen Djibril Camara and Nouha Bangoura on the lines while Abdel Aziz Bouh from Mauritania will serve as the fourth official.
Mali’s Modibo Samake is designated to to be the reserve assistant referee, with both Ahmad Nazeer Hossein Bowud from Mauritius and Somalian Ali Mohamed Ahmed picking up duties as commissioner and referee assessor respectively.
The second quarter final fixture for Friday will see the Syli National of Guinea on a quest to hunt down The Leopards of DR. Congo at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpé.
