ADO
Den Haag defender, Kenneth Omeruo is speaking up with confidence ahead
of the Wednesday Super Eagles clash with Mali’s brand of Eagles as he
has declared that he has no respect or fear for any world class player.
The youthful Nigerian defender, who is
on loan at his current club from English Premier League giants Chelsea,
was in great form when Nigeria beat Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals on
Sunday, as he won the Samsung Fair Play Award.
Speaking on the Eagles next match
against Mali and imminent confrontation with former Barcelona star Seidu
Keita, the defender said he was not intimidated by the world class
status of Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba and would approach every
great player in similar fashion without fear.
He said, “It feels good to play against
top players. It’s the only way to improve on your game. I had heard a
lot about Drogba and I watched him play at Chelsea. There is no doubt
that he is a top player and I respect his achievement.
“But even if you play against your hero,
you must do your best to stop him. I faced Drogba like any other
player. In the field of play, you don’t have to show respect for anyone.
“Mali is another big side as they have
always done well in the Nations Cup. They have shown that again by
reaching the semi final stage. Keita is another great player that has
lifted the team over the time. I don’t have any fear playing against
him; he is just one of the players in the team.”
The defender said he expects Mali to
challenge Nigeria strongly as they have not won the competition before
despite reaching the semi-finals in the past.
“They were there strongly last time,
coming third after beating Ghana. I don’t think they will watch us play;
they will want to assert their game on us and force us to play the way
they want. But our team is getting better now so I believe in our
collective effort and ability to play as a unit,” he said.
The match against the Malian Eagles is billed as the first match of the day at 4pm Nigerian time.
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