Outgoing Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel midfielder, John Ugochukwu Ogu has declared that he is seriously looking forward to his first outing at the Africa Cup of Nations, and believes it will be a glorious one for him and the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles, megasportsarena.com reports.
Ogu, fondly called ‘Suker,’ is one of only four out-and-out midfielders selected by Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr for the upcoming continental soccer showpiece in Egypt, but the former Academica de Coimbra of Portugal towering left-footer says he is ready to play any position.
He has been known to line out in central defence or as a left-wing-back in past matches for the Eagles, all of which Ogu says he is ready to do at Egypt 2019, but he is quick to admit that it will not be a stroll in the park.
Rather than expect a bed of roses in The Land of The Pharaohs, Ogu, who has also seen action in Slovenia and Spain, after graduating from Flying Sports Academy of FESTAC Town, Lagos, said he is expecting a challenge of great proportions from other teams at the upcoming Nations Cup.
The lanky star, who captained the Eagles during a an exhibition match in Liberia, which featured the fellow-West African county’s president and ex-world player of the year, George Opong Weah in September 2018, noted that he and his teammates cannot afford to disappoint the great expectations of Nigerian soccer fans.
He, however, posited that the Eagles should be able to pull through, once they stick together and play as a team, with a verdict that their target should not be on personal gains but for Nigeria as a whole.
Ogu added: ”It’s a collective thing, the whole players are looking to the AFCON. Personally, I’m looking forward to this challenge.
”It’s a very big task. Every Nigerian is expecting us to go and win the AFCON for the fourth time and we are confident.
”However, we will take every game as they come. We’ll go to Egypt and try as much as possible to make our country proud.”
