He was an integral part of the Super Eagles squad that won the third Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria in 2013 and with the three-time African champions set for the semi-final against Cape Verde or South Africa, Kenneth Omeruo is already looking forward to hanging another AFCON gold medal on his neck
Kenneth Omeruo played all seven games as the Super Eagles triumphed in South Africa during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, under the mentorship of the Late Stephen Keshi.
Ahead of Super Eagles quarter final encounter against Palancas Negras yesterday, the Kasimpasa centre back urged his teammates to show their doggedness as they tackled Angola.
Omeruo, 30, was part of the team that tasted continental success in 2013 as they brought the AFCON trophy back home after a Sunday Mba strike sent shivers down the spine of the Burkina Faso team, ending their dream of glory and handing them gloom.
Eleven years later, the former Chelsea defender urged Jose Peseiro’s men to avoid history as both sides have five draws between them.
“We do not need to go into back-and-forth chatter with any team. The Super Eagles are in Cote d’Ivoire for serious business. 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,” the former Leganese defender said after one of the team’s training sessions.
For Omeruo, nothing but a win will do, and he called on his teammates to channel the NAIJA spirit ahead of the match as they want to walk the talk and go all the way in Ivory Coast.
“There is no possibility of Friday’s (yesterday) 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,” the 1.85m tall defender added.
The 2013 AFCON winner sounded a note of warning to all the remaining teams in the tournament, telling them the Super Eagles compete with the aim of nothing but glory.
“We drew our first match and many people concluded that we are not here to compete strongly for the trophy. 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,” he added.
Nigeria slightly edges ahead considering the history between them and Angola. The Super Eagles have won three, lost two and drawn five games against the Palancas Negras.
The 30-year-old was an integral part of the Super Eagles squad that won the AFCON 2013 tournament in South African, partnering Godfrey Oboabana at the heart of the Nigerian defence, with Vincent Enyeama in goal.
The former Chelsea defender came on to replace Zaidu Sanusi in the final 10 minutes of the game against Cameroon and was pleased with the performance of the team as they qualified for the AFCON 2023 quarter final.
“It’s a very important victory because we knew if we didn’t win, we’d leave, but then kudos to the coach as well. We stayed in shape and followed our game plan, corrected some lapses from the last game and we were able to add another goal to the lead,” the former Leganese defender said in his post-match interview.
Peseiro’s men were then drawn against Angola in the quarter finals of the AFCON 2023 tournament and Omeruo was confident the Super Eagles can get past them.
“I don’t know much about them, but I think we have enough time to watch them and analyse their game individually. We have six days to prepare for this game and we have to do better,” he added.
Quizzed on his stance if he believes the team can replicate the success of the 2013 AFCON winning side, Omeruo said; “We’re definitely on track.”
Had the quarterfinal against Angola dragged to penalty shootout yesterday, Omeruo would certainly have been one of the Super Eagles stars to take a penalty kick.
The Kasimpasa was very successful from the penalty spot, as the Super Eagles trained for penalties ahead of yesterday’s showdown.
Omeruo indeed lauded Jose Peseiro’s tactics in Nigeia’s win over Cameroon, just as he praised the Super Eagles’ performance as they secured a 2-0 victory against their arch-rivals in the AFCON 2023 last 16.
Two minutes after dangerman Vincent Aboubakar was introduced, Omeruo was brought on by Peseiro in the 80th minute to replace Zaidu Sanusi, to contain the pressure from the opposition.
After the game played at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Omeruo was asked if he was brought in to stop the former Al Nassr of Saudi striker, and he said: ”Yes, I was brought in to maintain the great job that the team was already doing. I’m happy we could keep a clean sheet; it was important for us.”
When asked about the changes under the management of the Portuguese, Omeruo praised the tactics, noting the perfect execution by the players while highlighting the coach’s emphasis on not conceding goals. Omeruo added:
“Kudos to him. He has worked hard to make us understand the tactics he brought into the team, and we are doing it perfectly. He also a last minute substitute against Angola yesterday.
