We Have To Forge Ahead and Put This Defeat Behind Us – Eagles

We Have To Forge Ahead and Put This Defeat Behind Us – Eagles

Super Eagles goalkeeper  Ikechukwu Ezenwa has promised that the team will not disappoint at next year’s  African Nations Championship despite  losing 4-1 to their bitter rivals  Ghana in the  final of the 2017 WAFU Cup in Cape Coast in Ghana  on Sunday.

Ezenwa, who was named  the best goalkeeper of the sub-regional tournament, said the  Eagles  had decided to  focus their  attention on CHAN.

“To let in four goals in the last game of competition is one of those things in football,” Scorenigeria.com quoted the IfeanyiUbah custodian, who captained the national team in Ghana,  as saying on Monday.

“We have to forge ahead and put this behind us.We have done very well and this (WAFU) is part of our preparations for CHAN next year.”

Nigeria assistant coach Salisu Yusuf, who was in charge of the team in Ghana,  said  the WAFU tournament had  given him an idea of his team for CHAN.

“The team did well and we now have an idea of our CHAN team,” he said.

“We will go back home to work on our pluses and minuses.”

Nigeria have featured in the last two editions of CHAN.

They finished third on their debut in 2014 in South Africa, but failed to go past the group stage last year in Rwanda.

Meanwhile, sports minister Solomon Dalung has praised the Eagles for their efforts.

Dalung,  who watched the final, said, “We cannot win the cup all the time and that’s why it’s called sports. Overall, the players did very well but unfortunately they came second. I am not disappointed but satisfied with their performance.”

Dalung urged  the Nigeria Football Federation technical department  to work with  the team’s coaching staff  to make the side stronger.

“They did very well but of course the coaching staff  will go back to review the match and amend certain strategic shortfalls in terms of coordination in our play, but overall, we must sincerely admit that they did well,” he added.