Nigeria defender Olaoluwa Aina has warned Cameroon, and other countries remaining in this year's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023), about the Super Eagles’ ferocity.
With Nigeria preparing for a Round-16 tie with Cameroon on Saturday, the versatile defender, who is having a great tournament, revealed the influence Nigeria legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has had on his game and the team.
"I grew up with Alex (Iwobi) and Jay Jay when we were young. Yeah, he (Okocha) is influential to all of us.
“Seeing him around the camp a few times has been really good for me and I'm sure it is for others as well," he told Nigeria Info exclusively.
Reflecting on how Nigeria crashed out at the same stage of the competition two years ago when Cameroon hosted it, Aina, who is playing his third AFCON tournament, said the current Super Eagles want to write 'something different'.
"Obviously, the last AFCON was majorly disappointing because we were on such a high, and truly, we did think we were going to win that game (Tunisia) but you know it's football, and these things happen, but it's in the past now.
“I think this is a new journey. It's a new time under a new coach. We have to write something different.”
As AFCON 2023 enters the knockout phase, Ola Aina has put his total trust in the tactical ability of coach Jose Peseiro, by declaring that the Super Eagles are a dangerous team under the Portuguese tactician.
"Playing under Jose Peseiro is very intense, but he gets his message across to the players and we try to implement them in games as much as possible.
“Not everything goes to plan. Just like I said, this is football, but we do try our best to implement his ideas and tactics, and when we do it right, we are a dangerous team," he declared.
Aina is having a stellar performance in the competition and has started in all three of the matches played by Nigeria so far.
