Attacking midfielder Victor Moses has singled out the 4-0 bashing of African champions Cameroon in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on the first day of September last year as his most fulfilling match in the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.
The Chelsea FC ace has also handed big kudos to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, and his team for changing the administrative game for the better, through developing a special relationship with the players, keeping its word at every turn and attracting global attention to the Nigeria game through deft moves in a number of areas.
“My best match of the qualifying series was the one against Cameroon in Uyo. We went into the match with Cameroon being the champions of Africa, and with so many people expecting us to be defeated. We realized that and we told ourselves we had to go all out. We did and won handsomely. That was when we knew we had the World Cup ticket for the taking,” Moses said in London.
Nigeria’s top scorer of the FIFA World Cup qualifying series with three goals, Moses then assured that the team retains the steel and coherence that took it past Cameroon and that those qualities will be on display in Russia this summer.
He said: “We are a team in spirit and in action. When we were starting the qualifiers, people said it was a ‘group of death’. Now, people say we are in ‘group of death’ at the World Cup. We will keep surviving and thriving.”
Moses had glowing words for the NFF administration led by Pinnick, admitting that the NFF boss “is like a father to me”.
He said: “Mr. Pinnick is like a father to me. He calls me almost every day, advising and encouraging me in my game and life generally. The NFF he heads has done so well and done so much for the team.
“We are going to Russia to do the NFF and Nigeria proud. They have taken care of several areas that used to be points of distraction and worry for the team. Now, we have settled minds and can fully focus on the game on the pitch.”
