The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Patrick Ekeji, has said that Nigeria will defeat Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter-final match of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Ekeji, who spoke with State House Correspondents on Thursday, said that the most important outcome of the match to Nigerians should be winning and not the number of goals.
He said no matter the strategy adopted by the opponents, the Super Eagles will emerge victorious, adding that he had told the team to play for 90 minutes.
He said: “I can assure you that our boys are going to put up a performance that meets the challenge of Cote D’Ivore.
“In a competition of this nature and at this level, you require a lot of strategic movements because all you need is just one goal to win.
“So, the objective, of course, is to win.
“No matter the strategy deployed by the opponent, our strategy is to win and I can assure you that at the end of the match on Sunday, Nigeria will pick the ticket for semi-finals.
“I have told our boys that they must play for 90 minutes and I also advised that we need to take our chances.
“In football, if you have chances, you must take them because the team that takes its own chances and the other side that does not take its own chances, that’s what makes the difference.”
On officiating at the tournament, Ekeji, who once played for the national team as goalkeeper, said: “I don’t want to pass any judgement on the referees.
“They are doing what they are supposed to do.
“If your team wins, you do not see how poor a referee may have performed, but if your team losses, that’s when you see wether the referee did well or not.
“So, my attitude is wether a referee is good or bad, let’s just win.”
Speaking on the motivational packages the NSC must have put in place for the Super Eagles, Ekeji said: “The Federal Government has already given the team all it requires to do what us expected of them.
“Of course, you are aware of the fact that the Federal Government was responsible for their training in Faro, they are also in South Africa now.
“The minister had been there, he only came back yesterday (Wednesday) night.
“Of course, members of the National Assembly are there supporting them and other members of the Football Association.”
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