By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian defender Sodiq Ismail has set his sights on contributing more assists for the Super Eagles after helping the team secure a 2-1 victory over Ghana in the Unity Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Ismail, who plays for Remo Stars, delivered the crucial pass that led to Nigeria’s opening goal at the match held in London.
The assist marked a significant moment in the full-back’s international campaign, as he now aims to build on the performance.
Reacting to a video of the goal posted on social media platform X, an elated Ismail expressed hope that the assist would be the first of many for the national team.
“First of many, Insha Allah (God willing). It was a team effort, and we deserve the victory,” Ismail said.
“We will double our efforts to perform better in the final and bring back the cup.”
The Super Eagles are set to face Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in the Unity Cup final on Saturday.
Ghana will play Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors in the third-place match.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
