AFCON: It is good if they see Eagles as underdogs, says Ighalo

Odion Ighalo has revealed that the Super Eagles can win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with a dint of hard work on the team’s part, adding that it is good to be seen as the underdog in the tournament.

Ighalo, who was the highest goal scorer with seven goals in the qualification series to Egypt said the Eagles have the quality to achieve this feat as the African football showpiece kicks off on Friday.

He admitted that it won’t be a smooth ride for the Super Eagles to be able to achieve the team’s goal of a fourth AFCON trophy.

The Shenhua Shanghai prolific striker, however, reiterated coach Gernot Rohr’s “underdog” tag in a video interview posted on the Nigeria Football Federation official Twitter handle.

The Ighalo Interview. The underdog tag is good for Nigeria- Ighalo https://t.co/oG2f68Pmor via @YouTube #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong #TotalAFCON2019

— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) June 20, 2019

“We have a team that can even win the trophy if we work hard and if we give everything we have on the pitch, not saying had I known later,” Ighalo said.

“If anybody says the tournament will be easy, it is a lie because it is going to be tough, it is going to be hot but I believe in the team we have, we have all it takes to do well at the AFCON.

“Nigeria has a good team that can play in the semi-final and the final. As I said, we will not get carried away.

“We have all it takes to win it but let’s just start with the first game, to the quarter-finals, semis then we will see how it goes.”

“Anything I do in life, I like people to take me as an underdog because I like to surprise people and I like to take people unaware, that’s for me as a person,” he added.

“If they are taking us [underdog], it is very good because it won’t give the team more pressure.

“When the team has more pressure of winning this and that, that’s when you will start thinking of the final when you have not even played the first game.”

Super Eagles of Nigeria will open their account at the 32nd AFCON on Saturday against Burundi in Alexandria.