Facing Mohamed Salah in the Africa Cup of Nations holds no fear for Nigeria, according to captain Ahmed Musa.
Augustine Eguavoen’s Super Eagles meet Egypt on January 11 in their opening match of the African football showpiece, with the Liverpool superstar expected to lead the Pharaohs’ frontline.
The two-time African Player of the Year winner has been in rich scoring form in the 2021-22 campaign, finding the net on 16 occasions in 20 English elite division outings.
Regardless, the Turkey-based star would welcome the challenge of taking on the former AS Roma favourite – insisting the three-time African kings boast quality the North Africans should be worried about.
“Everyone is talking about Salah but if you look at our team, we have lots of players they will be worried about,” he told the media before Nigeria’s departure to Garoua on Tuesday evening.
“So, we don’t have to think about Salah, they have to think about our own players.
“They talk about Salah but we have players like Samuel Chukwueze and others on the wings who are very dangerous - so that’s football.”
Thirteen players in Eguavoen’s squad will be playing in Afcon for the first time ever.
Even at this, the former CSKA Moscow and Leicester City star does not see that as an impediment to Nigeria’s ambition of a fourth African diadem which is the ultimate ambition in Cameroon.
“In each tournament, you will always see new players. I don’t think there is any new player going to Afcon that has not been with us since day one,” he added.
“So, we are together, and we know each other but it’s just something little the coach just needs to add into the team.
“For me, I think we are ready because we have played lots of matches together and like I said we are 100 per cent ready.
“We are not going to Cameroon to see the beauty of the country but to win. I remember during the qualifiers when we sealed qualification, we said we are not just going to the Afcon we are going to come back with the trophy.”
Guinea-Bissau and Sudan are the other teams the Super Eagles will tackle in Group D.
