TheCable

Ekundayo Ojo, home-based Super Eagles midfielder, says Nigeria will fight to overcome Angola in the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) quarter-final.

Ojo said he hopes this could be the year the team will win the trophy.

The Sunshine Stars’ midfielder was in fantastic form when the Eagles thrashed Equatorial Guinea to set up a quarter final showdown with Angola.

“We are in this tournament to perform and also emerge as champions,” Ojo said in chat with TheCable.

“I am very happy about that but now we must make the next step up the ladder. I’d like to win the CHAN competition.

“We will not fall into the trap of Angola. We won in the game against Equatorial Guinea.

“This gives us more confidence. The same attitude will also serve us well on Sunday. It’s vital we remain level-headed.”

Meanwhile, defender Daniel Itodo is certain that the CHAN Eagles will beat Angola to qualify for the semi-final.

The Plateau United said the quarter-final win has gone a long way to motivate his colleagues.

“Mentality plays a big part of the game and from what I have observed since we beat Equatorial Guinea, I think it has risen really high,” Itodo told TheCable.

“My colleagues know that quality is not enough in the game these days as you have to dig deep for results.

“The Angolans would be encouraged by their performance during the first round as they didn’t concede a goal.

“We need to make sure that we cut their supplies and prevent them from creating enough goal scoring chances which they can use to punish us.

“They are a side that is improving by the day. We cannot afford to underrate them. We would do so at our cost.”

The Eagles will square up against the Palancas Negras on Sunday.