Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Bashiru has expressed satisfaction with his performance after making his Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) debut for Nigeria, following the team’s hard-fought victory in their opening match of the tournament.
Speaking after the game, Bashiru described the occasion as special and praised the overall display of the team, despite admitting that a momentary loss of focus allowed the opposition back into the contest.
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“I think we played well today,” Bashiru said. “The goal we conceded was due to a lapse in concentration, but we created a lot of chances. In another game, if we had taken those chances, the match would have been finished much earlier.”
The midfielder also addressed the pressure Nigeria faced after the opponents took their opportunity in the second half, stressing the importance of discipline and belief in the team’s tactical approach.
“We just stuck to the game plan,” he explained. “We knew that if we did that, we would continue to create chances and have opportunities to score, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Looking ahead to Nigeria’s next Group C encounter against Tunisia, Bashiru revealed that preparations would begin with a detailed review of the opening match.
“We’ll have a team meeting tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll analyse what we did well and what we didn’t do well, and from there we’ll prepare properly for the next game.”
Bashiru also took time to appreciate Nigerian fans who turned out in large numbers despite challenging weather conditions.
“Thank you very much for all the support,” he added. “It means a lot to all of us as players. Please keep supporting us in the upcoming matches.”
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