Nigeria midfielder, Moses Simon, has admitted Friday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifier between the Super Eagles and Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the Uyo International Stadium would not be for the faint-hearted as such his outfit will do everything to grind a positive result.
The 22-year-old Simon, who grabbed the second goal when Nigeria beat Cameroon 3-0 in their last confrontation during an international friendly at the Edmond Machtens Stadium in Brussels (Belgium) in October 2015, believes the Super Eagles are in a good frame of mind to tame the African Champions again. Here are the excerpts of the interview with CAFOnline.com
What are your expectations?
I think it has to be ‘our expectations and not mine’. Our expectation is to win in order to boost our chances of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia. The most important thing for us as a team is to win and nothing more.
What gives you this kind of confidence that Nigeria will beat Cameroon on Friday in Uyo?
My confidence comes from the general attitude of the team; as well as our quality as a team and I have so much belief in this team that we can do it.
Cameroon are the African champions, are you not scared facing them?
We were not at the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon when Cameroon won the trophy but we have respect for them as the African champions. We have to give everything that we have when we are going to play against them. We have to play together as a team. I believe we have a very good squad with the calibre of players we have in the team right now.
You actually scored against Cameroon during the last friendly match in Belgium. Are you looking forward to repeating the dose in Uyo?
Of course! If I have the opportunity but the most important thing is about the team getting the maximum three points. It is not only about me scoring; it is for us to win on Friday in Uyo because that would be good for our aspiration of qualifying for the World Cup.
What does the return of captain John Mikel Obi mean to the team, after he missed some recent matches due to injury?
We are happy to always have him around because he’s the leader. His presence alone is a great boost to the team and it will motivate us as well. We want the fans to come out to support us to win this important match on Friday. We want to keep our mind and eyes on the match in Uyo. Thereafter, we can talk about the return match in Yaounde. What Nigerians should expect from us on Friday is victory.