In a post-match press conference following Nigeria’s crucial 1-0 triumph over Angola in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals, Moses Simon, designated Man of the Match for the second time in the tournament, expressed his elation at the victory.
When asked about his feelings regarding winning the Man of the Match award for the second time, Simon emphasized the importance of the team’s victory.
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He stated, “Actually, I feel really happy. The most important thing is the victory; you could be the Man of the Match and lose the game. So, I’m really happy for the victory, most importantly.”
Simon was then prompted to elaborate on the pivotal goal scored by Ademola Lookman, which he assisted.
The winger described his thought process during the decisive moment, revealing, “Actually, what’s going through my mind is either I pass the ball to Victor Osimhen or Ademola Lookman, or I score by myself.
But at the moment, we don’t need to be selfish. We just need to feed them, and they score. And I’m really happy he utilized the chance.”
Responding to inquiries about the atmosphere in the dressing room, particularly regarding Victor Osimhen’s disallowed goal and the expectation for him to score, Simon assured that the mood in the camp is positive.
He emphasized the team’s collective focus on victory rather than individual goal-scoring achievements, stating, “Actually, the mood is very good in the camp. Likewise, everyone.
We don’t even think about this, and I believe even him [Osimhen] doesn’t think about scoring. He thinks about victory. If he has the opportunity, he will score.
But the important thing I can say is we just want to win. We don’t care who scores or who doesn’t score.”
Addressing concerns about the challenging weather conditions, with temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius, Simon dismissed the notion that it affected the players’ overall performance.
He confidently asserted, “Actually, I would say no because we are all the same. When you say hot, when you feel it, they feel it also. So for me, it doesn’t matter. We are the same.”
Moses Simon’s insightful remarks provided a glimpse into the team’s mindset, highlighting their unity, focus on victory, and the collective effort that propelled Nigeria into the AFCON semi-finals as they await their next opponent which will be between South Africa and Carpe verde.
