By Joe Apu

Super Eagles and Mainz 05 of German defender, Leon Balogun has assured Nigerians that he and his mates are ready to make the nation proud in the AFCON 2019 and Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup campaigns.

Balogun told thenff.com in an interview that despite South Africa not having a coach presently; it did not mean they should be underrated. “The thing is that a coach guides a team, gives them ideas on how to play and also presents a team that will play, so it doesn’t matter whether they have a coach or not, it’s the players on the pitch that matters. They are the ones who will perform and show their quality on the field.

“Perhaps before we play them, they would have hired a coach who will still give them idea on how to play us so I think it will be an interesting game. I played against South Africa once; I know they have quality players and it will be a tough game. I expect a hard game against South Africa.”

On the game against Cameroon, Balogun admitted that much would be at stake for both sides. “It’s a crucial game and a home game we must win. At home we have everything under our control and must use that to our advantage. Another advantage is Uyo, our current home ground has become a fortress for us. I think it is one of the reasons for our successes in recent times. Uyo fans have shown so much love for the team and that has been very great. The ground is great and the training pitch is also good. And the Akwa Ibom State government has been very supportive of our cause.

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“Cameroon is a strong team, after winning AFCON 2017 they’ve built up their confidence but by the time we will play them it would be six months after their win in Gabon, we must show them we want the win more than they do. We need to make sure we get the maximum three points to take our points’ tally to 9; that will give us a big edge over other teams, including Cameroon. I’m seriously looking forward to the game; we want to show them that we are better than them. We are already dreaming of Russia 2018, but we know we must work harder. We will ensure we win all our matches especially our home games.”

Taking a look back to the camping of the Eagles in London for the international friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso, the defender who had struck a strong bond with Ekong noted that it was an opportunity for all the players to be together and work out as a team, stressing that

William is like a brother to him as both of them had remained close on and off the pitch. “We are friends and that is having very positive impact on our game when we play together in the back-line for the Super Eagles. We know each other and we know what the other is thinking, that has helped our game a lot.”

“The camping in the UK was very nice. I think we have a lot of players playing in Europe and it was good we were able to use the time to bond; it really would help as we continue to blend. There wasn’t too much stress for us, as it was nearby and everyone could quickly assemble. Ahead of South Africa game, if we remain focused we have quality young players to beat any team in Africa.