Ademola Lookman said his Nigeria team-mates’ collective effort is responsible for the Super Eagles’ win over Cameroon to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Cup of Nations.
Lookman scored twice as Nigeria defeated Cameroon 2-0 on Saturday at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Lookman, who was named the Man of the Match, said: “Wow, we’re so happy to qualify for the quarter-finals.
“The more we play together, the more fluid we become. I’m standing here now but this award reflects the whole team’s performance.”
The 26-year-old is relishing his first Afcon experience: “I love this atmosphere, it’s incredible. Tonight our fans pushed us to the end because this was Cameroon, and when you wear the Super Eagles shirt, some games resonate more than others.”
Nigeria will face Angola in the quarters on Friday after they beat Namibia 3-0 earlier on Saturday.
Lookman added: “Angola are a good team. We’ll analyse them and prepare. The further you go, the tougher it gets so we’ll take it game by game.”
Nigeria are searching for their fourth title, the first since 2013.
Meanwhile, Caf legend Moumouni Dagano has delved deeper into Burkina Faso’s chances of winning their first Africa Cup of Nations title in Côte d’Ivoire.
Burkina Faso finished second in Group D after losing their last group game 2-0 to Angola. Hubert Velud’s side is a blend of experience and youthful talents.
Dagano said: “This Burkina Faso team is one that I’m very proud of. There are young players and it is their first time playing in the Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying (for knockout stage) is a good thing for them. I am proud of them.”
Dagano was part of the Burkina Faso team that lost the 2013 final to Nigeria. However, he believes the current squad is inferior to his squad back then, especially in terms of experience.
“The difference is that this squad is very young and they are people giving everything and working hard. During our time, we had older players with experience. But we can see how talented these young players are. I think they are doing a great job,” he said.
“It is really important to have experienced players around to motivate the squad and everyone around the team.
