Home-based Super Eagles defender, Stephen Eze, says the team must win the African Nations Championship in Morocco next year to atone for their disappointing showing at the last edition of the competition in 2016, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.
The Home Eagles failed to progress beyond the group stage in Rwanda 2016 despite starting on positive note with a 4-1 win against Niger Republic.
The team had earlier finished in third position at the 2014 edition in South Africa, their first appearance in the competition.
Eze admits that nothing except the trophy will do this time around and says that the team will strive hard to claim the title.
“I still can believe we lost out in the group stage in Rwanda. We started well against Niger and everyone was sure we would go all the way, but we let things slip out of our hands,” the Kano Pillars defender said.
“It’s a big lesson for us, and one we will try to avoid this time around. We will approach each game with seriousness even when it is against an opposition that people regard as minnows.
“Our main target now is to win the trophy and make history being the first Nigeria’s CHAN title. Everyone is looking forward to the start of the competition and we can’t wait to get started.
“I know most Nigerian fans are still disappointed that we didn’t win it then, but we will fight hard to make them happy this time around.”
Salisu Yusuf’s men will start their campaign at CHAN 2018 with a Group C fixture against Rwanda on January 15 in Tangier and will also face Libya and Equatorial Guinea in the same group.
The competition will start on January 13 and end on February 4.