By Muhammad Nur Tijani
Kano, Jan. 6, 2024(NAN) Some football enthusiasts in Kano have advised the Super Eagles to sharpen their goal-scoring skills ahead of their semi-final encounter with their age-long South African rivals.
The fans gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Tuesday.
They urged the players and the technical crew to work on the team’s goal-scoring skills in order to enhance their prospects of emerging champions in the ongoing 2023 AFCON tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
They argued that the team must perfect their skills to be able to take their chances as they come in their remaining matches in the competition.
A footballer, Mustafa Adamu, commended the team for its victory against Angola but said that a more tactical opponent would punish it, over their missed chances.
According to him, the Eagles have exhibited a good fighting spirit by beating Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Angola.
“However, they missed a lot of goal- scoring chances in the tournament so there is a serious need for them to improve on ways to convert their chances,” he said.
Also, a football administrator, Abubakar Musa, urged the attackers to be calm and composed to enable them to utilise their chances.
“The team’s strikers are talented but they need to improve on their finishing,” he said.
A football fan, Simon Okafor, advised the Eagles to maintain the tempo that gave the team victory against Angola in the quarter finals.
He urged the players to replicate the standard of game in their match against Angola, when they meet South Africa in their semi-final match.
A housewife, Amina Yahaya, urged Nigerians to pray for the team to ensure that it scaled through the semi-final hurdle and proceed to win the trophy.
“We should pray that the team should do well to advance to the final, of the tournament,” Yahaya said.
NAN reports that South Africa edged out Cape Verde via penalty shootout at the quarter final to qualify for the semi-final.
Wednesday’s match with Nigeria is scheduled to take place at Stade de la Paix in Bouake at 6pm Nigeria time.
The encounter would be the fourth between the two countries in the AFCON competition, and the Super Eagles had shown superiority in previous matches with an 8-1 aggregate score. (NAN)
