Super Eagles and Abia Warriors forward, Chisom Chikatara, was filled with excitement after netting the first hat-trick of the 2016 African Nations Championship, but had the presence of mind to dedicate his Man-of-the-Match award to his late mother.
Nicknamed the Kolanut Boy by the media in the Nigeria Professional Football League, Chikatara came on as a second half substitute to secure victory for the Super Eagles with three strikes in a space of 16 minutes.
It was the Super Eagles opening fixture, which they won 4-1 against Niger Republic. Osas Okoro got on the scorers’ sheet first before Chikatara took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Chikatara said: “I’m excited and happy. The fact that the goals were enough to secure the victory for the team makes it great for me.
“I appreciate the coach for the opportunity given to me to play and my teammates for the solid team work that got me the goals.
“I feel great for this achievement, I will continue to work hard alongside my teammates and hopefully I can finish as the tournament top scorer. However, that is not the target for now because it is not a perfect team yet.”
Chikatara lost his mother during the NPFL 2014/15 season and he expressed a wish that the mother was alive to witness his exploits in CHAN.
“I wished she is alive tonight, I felt emotional after scoring those goals. I’m dedicating my MVP award to her, she motivated me and encouraged my career,” he said.
Nigeria sit top of Group C with three points, Tunisia and Guinea are tied on one point each, while Niger Republic are bottom of the log.
Nigeria will face Tunisia while Niger Republic will tackle Guinea on Friday.
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