The Nigerian senior national team stumbled to a disappointing draw against the home-based Algerian side, but the Portugal-based forward has taken plenty of positives from the encounter
Casa Pia winger Saviour Godwin has revealed that head coach Jose Peseiro is working to instill a winning mentality in the Super Eagles.
Nigeria could only draw 2-2 with Algeria’s CHAN team on Friday in a test game ahead of an international friendly match against the country’s senior national team on September 27.
CR Belouizdad striker Karim Aribi pounced on a Maduka Okoye error to open the scoring moments before the halftime break. And USM Alger forward Aymen Mahious added a second for the North Africans from the penalty spot after the interval.
But Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi and Cyriel Dessers struck in the second half to help the Super Eagles avoid an embarrassing defeat.
Saviour Godwin was introduced as a substitute for his unofficial debut for Nigeria.
Godwin is pleased to have made his international bow for the three-time Africa champions.
The versatile forward is even more impressed by head coach Peseiro’s charge for the Super Eagles to play to win every match.
“It was really amazing for me to play my first game for the Super Eagles I feel really excited,” Godwin told the NFF TV.
“We had a test game; this is good for everyone to get to know each other and get to know ourselves better.
“It was really an amazing outing for me and collectively as a team; I feel this is a very good test game for us.
“The coach said every game is like a World Cup final; we have to win every game, we have to have the mentality of winning. We have to have the ambition to win so that is what we went into the pitch with, which is the mindset of winning.”
Godwin could make his official debut for Nigeria when the Super Eagles trade tackles with the Algerian senior national team in Oran on Tuesday.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winners have beaten Nigeria in the last two matches between both teams.
But Godwin is convinced that the Super Eagles have the quality to outshine the Desert Foxes.
“Algeria is a big team, one of the finest in Africa, and of course, when we go into the pitch, we want to win, and I think it will be a really good game for us, and we are surely going to win.”
Godwin did not make head coach Jose Peseiro’s initial 25-man shortlist for these international games.
But the 26-year-old Casa Pia star was drafted in as a late replacement for Nottingham Forest man Emmanuel Dennis, who withdrew due to injury.
