Nigeria’s midfielder Frank Onyeka has hailed his team’s defensive performance after they blanked Cameroon 2-0 in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday. The Super Eagles kept their third clean sheet in four games, as they frustrated the Indomitable Lions and denied them a single shot on target.
Onyeka, who plays for Brentford in the Premier League, was instrumental in breaking up Cameroon’s attacks and shielding Nigeria’s back four. He also contributed to Nigeria’s second goal, as he set up Samuel Chukwueze for a cross that was headed in by Victor Osimhen.
Speaking after the game, Onyeka said he was proud of his team’s display and praised their defensive solidity. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, because Cameroon are a strong team and they have a lot of quality players. But we were prepared and we executed our game plan very well. We defended as a unit and we did not give them any space or chance to hurt us,” he told the media.
He added: “We also showed our quality in attack and we scored two beautiful goals. I’m happy to have assisted the second goal and I’m happy for Victor, who scored his third goal of the tournament. He is a great striker and he deserves all the praise he is getting.”
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Onyeka also said he was confident that Nigeria could go all the way and win the trophy, as they have a balanced and talented squad. “We have a lot of options and we have a lot of depth in our team. We have players who can play in different positions and we have players who can change the game at any moment. We have a lot of firepower and we have a lot of onyeka (only one) goal, which is to win the Afcon,” he said.
Nigeria will face Angola in the quarter-finals on Friday, in what promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of the favourites for the title. Onyeka said he was looking forward to the challenge and hoped to continue his impressive form. “Senegal are a very good team and they have some of the best players in Africa. But we are not afraid of anyone and we are ready to face them. We will give our best and we will fight for our country. We want to make our fans happy and we want to make history,” he said.
