The Egyptians Would Be Defeated

Super Eagles defender, Leon Balogun, and his teammate, Aaron Samuel, believe Nigeria will beat Egypt in both legs of their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Egypt and Nigeria will clash on March 25 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna with the return fixture billed for the Borg El- Arab Stadium, Alexandria four days later.

“We would be targeting to win both matches,” Balogun told NFF.com.

“If we get the six points that will ease our path to the Nations Cup. Winning will be the principle driving us in both matches.

“Egypt is a big football-playing nation, but Nigeria is also very big. There is no complex going into both matches and we have the men to give us victory in Kaduna and away in Egypt.”

Balogun won his first cap for the Eagles in the international friendly against Mexico at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in March 2014, but missed the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil as a result of an injury he sustained in the game.

Balogun, who got his call-up 24 hours after the initial list was drawn up, is backed by CSKA Moscow striker, Aaron Samuel, who has said Nigeria will get the goals to bury Egypt. Samuel believes Eagles have more and bigger stars than the Pharaohs just as a former Eagles captain, Henry Nwosu, told The PUNCH in another interview.

Samuel and his CSKA teammate, Ahmed Musa, are in the list of 21 overseas-based players called up by coach Samson Siasia.

He said, “Goals will not be a problem when we take to the pitch in Kaduna. We have more and bigger stars that the Egyptians.

“There is nothing to fret about. I have heard what the Egyptians are saying, that we would not be able to score in Kaduna. That is mere wishful thinking on their part. They are trying to play a psychological game. The goals will surely flow from our boots into their net.”

The striker, who last featured for the Eagles under coach Stephen Keshi, had also played in China. In his last stint with the Eagles, he scored two goals in the 2015 AFCON qualifying race; one against Sudan in Abuja and the other against Congo in Pointe Noir as Nigeria recovered from the defeat the Congolese handed them in Calabar.

“Our objective would be to be precise, to convert the chances that we create. We will win and win well,” he said.