By Wale Mustapha
Super Eagles assistant captain Moses Simon has declared that Nigeria will approach Saturday’s Unity Cup final against Jamaica with full seriousness, insisting the match is far more than a friendly.
Simon made the remarks ahead of the highly anticipated clash at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, UK, where the three-time African champions will face the Reggae Boyz after edging Ghana 2-1 in the semifinals.
Their opponents, Jamaica, earned their place in the final with a narrow 3-2 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking during a press conference, Simon, who is featuring in the Unity Cup for the first time, emphasized the team’s determination to make history in the UK-based tournament.
“I feel good. It’s my first time playing in a tournament like this in the UK, and of course, we are prepared,” Simon said.
“We know what it takes. There’s no such thing as a friendly game when you’re playing for Nigeria.”
The final is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 p.m. Nigeria time on Saturday, June 1.
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.
