AFCON 2023: ‘We are happy with the point’- Eq. Guinea captain Emilio Nsue reflects on draw against Nigeria

The Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered a disappointing draw in their opening AFCON 2023 clash against Equatorial Guinea

The captain of Equatorial Guinea, Emilio Nsue, has shared his thoughts on their performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opening game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, as reported by Soccernet.ng.

In a match that ended in a 1-1 draw at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, attended by 8,500 fans, Nsue, who led the line against Jose Peseiro’s team, expressed contentment with the one point they earned but conveyed dissatisfaction with the stalemate.

Jose Machine’s well-executed pass in the 36th minute set up Iban Salvador to take the lead, but their celebration was short-lived as Napoli forward Victor Osimhen equalised moments later.

Nsue, when asked about the game, voiced disappointment with the result and outlined their plans for the upcoming match.

“They were better. [In] the first half, I think we played a very good game. But this is the way. We have to improve [on] our mistakes. For us here, we are happy for the point; we are not happy for the performance. [So], we have to look [at] the next game. For us, it [the next game] is the most important one. ” he said

Despite Nigeria’s 15 goal attempts and six shots on goal compared to Equatorial Guinea’s six-goal attempts, Nsue acknowledged their contentment with the point but not the performance.

When asked if a 2-1 scoreline would have been a better result, Nsue told Soccernet.ng, “I think in the first half, we had some chances. And, I think, in the second half, they had more chances than us, more clear. [and] as I said before, we are happy with the point but not with the performance.”

Considering Nigeria’s reputation as one of the best teams in the tournament, Soccernet.ng inquired if Equatorial Guinea aims to contend for the AFCON trophy despite Nigeria’s superior talent.

“I don’t think so” Nsue laughed, “It’s just the first game, we have time to improve, and our target is to go game by game, not to win the AFCON” he stated.

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Following the draw against Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea currently holds the second spot in the Group A standings with one point and looks forward to securing more points in their next clash against Guinea-Bissau.