Okoku banks on Mikel, Musa, Moses for glory

BY JOHN EGBOKHAN
EX-INTERNATIONAL, Paul Okoku has said that the trio of Jon Obi Mikel, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses were going to play crucial roles in Nigeria’s quest for glory at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria are paired in Group B alongside Burkina Faso, Zambia and Ethiopia in what observers see as an easy group for the Eagles to progress to the knockout stage of the 16-nation tournament.

And speaking in an interview with Sports Vanguard, Okoku, maintained that the Eagles have the potentials to go very far in the tournament if Mikel, Musa and Moses are made the arrowheads of the team’s attacking play.

“I believe that the Eagles under the leadership of Stephen Keshi can fly high at the Nations Cup in South Africa. We have the players to certainly get out of our group but more importantly, I feel that for us to go very far, we have to make use of some players, who are match-winners on their day.

“Mikel is one of the players who would play a very key role in our desire for success in South Africa. Keshi needs to give him additional roles, so that he can be more responsible to the team that he is presently doing.

“If Mikel gets into his strides, Nigeria will go places. Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses, I maintain, are also going to play key functions for the Eagles in the Cup of Nations.

Both a young, bursting with energy and can certainly score the goals if the services are provided. Then you cannot write off Ikechukwu Uche, who is always a reliable guy for the goals”, added Okoku