Joseph Yobo
Former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, says the national team are on the ascendancy in Africa after getting the better of African champions Cameroon in a Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying double-header in Uyo and Yaounde.
The Eagles whipped the Indomitable Lions 4-0 in Uyo before they were held 1-1 at the Stade Omnisports Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde, on Monday, to consolidate their top position in Group B with 10 points.
“Beating Cameroon in Uyo was a massive feat by this generation of Eagles. It shows that we are moving back to the top of African football once more. We have not recorded this kind of good run in World Cup qualifiers in a long while that I can recall,” Yobo, who was capped 102 times for Nigeria, said.The 2013 AFCON winner added, “This is a very commendable feat. It is always very difficult to go to Yaounde to get a point. It is even more difficult when the Indomitable Lions know that the opposition is Nigeria; they see us as rivals on the continent.”
“Now that the youthful team has been able to go this far in the qualifiers, we just need to remain focused and conclude the run with another win or draw against Zambia in our next game on October 7 in Uyo.”
Yobo, who appeared at three World Cups and six AFCONs, attributed the four points picked from the six at stake in the two games to the inclusion of more experienced players in the squad that played the Lions.
“The experienced players in the team made the difference for the Eagles. You can’t discountenance the importance of experience when the chips are down. Nigerians saw the difference from the squad that lost the AFCON 2019 qualifier to South Africa. We need a mix of the best for us to do well and not just add up the numbers at the World Cup,” he added.
Punch
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