Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has warned his teammates not to become too comfortable as the Super Eagles edge closer to securing their ticket to the AFCON 2025 tournament in Morocco.
Nigeria secured a late victory in their AFCON qualification against Libya on Friday, courtesy of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s 86th-minute strike, one that sealed their position atop Group D with seven points.
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But the Super Eagles will play the Mediterranean Knights once more in the reverse fixture on Tuesday, October 15 in Benghazi, and Troost-Ekong has cautioned his colleagues not to underestimate the Libyans, who will be playing at home, highlighting the importance of maintaining concentration.
Troost-Ekong 0n maintaining concentration
During the news conference held after the game, the 31-year-old defender expressed his happiness with the victory but also acknowledged the challenge that lay ahead.
“It’s never done until the fat lady sings, they say. It’s a good start for us. We knew how important this first game was, especially when you play a double-header,” Troost-Ekong said, as quoted by All Nigeria Soccer.
He then reflected on the Libyans’ defensive approach, pointing out that the Mediterranean Knights arrived in Uyo with the intention to earn a draw.
“We know that Libya came here to try to get a point and they really played very defensively and I think it would have been in their favour if they got that point,” he added.
Despite the pressures that come with playing for the three-time AFCON champions, the former Udinese defender described it as a ”privilege” and emphasized the need to achieve consistency in performance.
“Like I said before, pressure is a privilege. We are a team that should be winning almost all the games especially when we play here at home and today we saw even if it was ugly, and it took a long time, in the end, we got what we needed to do. Three points are very important for us,” he concluded.
The acting captain will hope his teammates take heed to his advice and secure desirable points in Benghazi, as a win on Tuesday could just be enough to secure their ticket to Morocco.
