We will go one game after the other – says Onyeka

Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka says his team are not carried away by their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) win over Côte d’Ivoire and will take the competition one game after the other, www.aclsports.com reports.

Onyeka put in a virtuoso performance in midfield as Nigeria confounded hosts Côte d’Ivoire in a 1-0 win over the 1992 champions at the Stade Olympic Alassane Ouattara on Thursday as the Super Eagles recorded their first win of the tournament.

Statistics based on trend reveal that Nigeria have always won every AFCON tournament in which they meet and do not lose to the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire. Onyeka says it’s still too far to think about that.

“Our aim is to take the tournament game by game. Now, we focus on the next game and it’s good that we defeated Côte d’Ivoire because it puts us in a better position but we have to take it game by game,” said the Brentford FC star.

Onyeka, 26, earned his 19th international cap for Nigeria on Thursday and many rated his performance as being his best ever for the Super Eagles. Asked if he believes that was his best performance yet, he replied with a wry smile on his face:

“I don’t watch myself, they do so I guess everything they say is true, maybe.”

Nigeria will wrap up their Group A campaign at this year’s AFCON with a clash with Guinea-Bissau at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on Monday. Onyeka says the Eagles will not underrate the group’s whipping boys when they meet.

“We know what’s at stake. We know we can’t underrate them. We’re going there to obviously get the points and you know it’s the group stage so we need to focus on the game and come out with the victory,” he said.

Nigeria will train once again at the Police College, Cocody, Abidjan on Sunday evening to conclude preparations for Monday’s game. Head coach Jose Peseiro and defender Kenneth Omeruo would have first spoken to the media in their official pre-match conference on Sunday morning.