Simon talk say him no dey worried about Naija 2026 World Cup hope

Naija don dey close to book dia place for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), but winger Moses Simon no wan gree say Super Eagles fit fail to reach 2026 Fifa World Cup even though dem start qualifying no too dey good.

Di West Africans dey sit for fifth position for dia six-team group wit only three points from dia first four matches.

Simon miss June matches, wey be draw wit South Africa and loss to Benin, bicos of injury but him no dey worried about Naija hope.

Wen di campaign go resume next year even as only di group winners go fit get guaranteed spot for di finals for North America.

“We get di quality, we get wetin e go take to win,” di 29-year-old tell BBC Sport Africa.

“We no believe say we no go fit go World Cup.”

Di last qualifying games, we miss regular players and I believe say dem go dey dere next year to help di team.

For di Jos-born Nantes attacker, di stakes dey high well well.

E no fit go 2018 World Cup bicos of injury, but e play for both legs of di play-off against Ghana for di 2022 tournament wey di Black Stars win by away goals.

“I be part of dose fights but I no make am, so I wan play di next one, e talk. I believe say dis na my last chance so I gatz do my best to take am.”

Feeling like home for Nantes 

Simon, wey don play 150 matches for France Ligue 1 for September, don dey perform well dis season and e no show any sign of di broken leg wey keep am out for several months earlier dis year.

Di winger don play some of im best football for Nantes under coach Antoine Kombouare, wey don come back for im second time as coach.

Im dey try make everybody feel at home. Di most important thing for di coach na wen you fit give player confidence to play.

Afta e don stay for Slovakia, Belgium and Spain, Simon dey for im sixth season for Stada de la Beaujoire and e dey happy say e don recova from wetin e dey call di worst injury of im career.

E no easy wen you dey come back from such injury, e add.

I dey try push myself make I beta pass last season.

“I love am here and I dey feel love from di supporters, di president, di club, my team-mates. I dey feel like home.”

Super Eagles need clear goal 

Di way wey e dey work under Kombouare for Nantes dey different from Simon experience wit Naija.

Since e debut for 2015, e don see plenty coaches come and go, only Gernot Rohr and Jose Peseiro get small time wey dem stay.

Peseiro wey leave earlier dis year don create gap wey neva fill well.

Wen dem ask am if e wish say Peseiro, wey carry di team go final for 2023 Afcon, still dey as coach, Simon reply: “For me, I go talk say of course yes.”

“But no be me dey decide. Na di federation. My choice na just to play.”

Naija dey one win away from qualify for next year Nations Cup under di current interim coach Augustine Eguavoen, but Simon wan make dem do long-term appointment.

“You go get di team wit clear goal,” e talk.

“Di coach sabi di ability and di character of di players. E sabi how e fit attack di game.”

“But wen today be dis and tomorrow be different, e dey little bit more complicated. We all wan pesin wey fit dey dire longer.”

Blessed to represent Naija

Amid di change of coaches, Simon don dey wit di senior side for almost ten years.

Wit ova 70 caps, e don enta Naija all-time top 10 for appearances, alongside players like Super Eagles legend Jay-Jay Okocha, but e no wan compare himself to player wey “give love to di pipo.”

“You fit play 200 caps or 300, but trust me, Jay-Jay Okocha na Jay-Jay Okocha,” Simon talk, dey smile.

Wetin e don give Naija and African football, e go hard for anybody to do am.”

Simon dey just 19 wen e receive im first call-up and e remember dat first chance to represent im country wit pride.

“Most of di team na guys wey I dey look up to, I dey watch dem for TV,” e add.

“E be like say na madness. I feel like cry and I still dey feel really blessed to be part of dat.”

“No be my goal to dey among top 10 or to play 100 games. I just wan make my family proud.”

Dey strive for progress 

As we don qualify for 2025 Afcon, e don dey go well so far, but Simon and him team-mates suffer to dey stranded for airport ova-night before qualifier for Libya last month.

Di Super Eagles later boycott di match as protest for how dem treat dem and dem give dem 3-0 win by Confederation of African Football, but Libya dey appeal dat decision.

Simon no wan remember dat experience e prefer to look forward to di upcoming matches against Benin and Rwanda.

“Get fighting spirit for di group and everybody wan play,” e talk.

Simon dey hope say e fit inspire im club make dem do beta pass di 14th position wey dem finish last season for Afcon.

Nantes last win di Ligue 1 title for 2001 and dem get Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly and Claude Makelele among di plenty former players wey don play for di club.

“Dis na historic club you go fit feel am from di atmosphere,” Simon talk wey dey optimistic.

“I go like make we dey for di top five again. Na wetin di supporters and di president wan, and di players too.

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