'In the final third it's going to click' - Ajayi vows Super Eagles will add more goals to their game

West Brom central defender Semi Ajayi has acknowledged that the Super Eagles have struggled in attack at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations but is confident that the attack-minded players will soon start firing on all cylinders. 

One of the talking points before the Guinea-Bissau versus Nigeria encounter had been the Super Eagles' poor finishing having failed to convert numerous chances against Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast. 

Nothing improved against the Wild Dogs on Monday evening as they needed an own goal from Opa Sanganté to secure a win and book a ticket to the round of 16. 

The likes of Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina and Alex Iwobi were presented with chances but failed to get on the scoresheet. 

Ajayi has explained how he's helping the team in attack despite being primarily tasked with defensive duties. 

"I always try to help my team. We needed to progress the ball a little bit more and I sensed that we could cause them some trouble on that right flank so I made the most of the space that they allowed me to exploit," Ajayi told reporters in the mixed zone after Monday evening's clash at the the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.

"In the final third it's going to click, it's coming. You can see the chances that we're creating. We are getting closer and closer, once it clicks, we'll start to be adding more goals to our game."

Although the Super Eagles were frustrated not to score a goal of their own,, Ajayi was delighted that they were able to grind out a win.

"To get the three points we knew it wouldn't be easy. They had a lot of pride so we had to be fully focused on the game and we're glad to come away with the three points.

"The aim of the game is to win, it doesn't matter if we win 5-0 or 1-0. We can be pleased with our defensive solidity and the goals will come.

"I have full confidence in this team, we know how the knockout stages are, we can't joke with it, we need to be ready from the start of every single game and we definitely will be.

"We didn't have the best of start, we had a good talk to each other at the cooling break and there was a much improved performance from there on."
 

The Super Eagles will discover their next opponent later today after the conclusion of games in Group C where Gambia will take on Cameroon and Guinea facing  Senegal.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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