All the speckles of anxiety and the bursts of excitement that had been brewing among Super Eagles players heading to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023, certainly must lead to vital goals scored against any opposition the team faces.

In preparation for this, the squad have been showing off spontaneous faces which helps to tell how much they are looking forward to constant celebration in Ivory Coast.

Maybe there would be an eureka moment in the Super Eagles’ first game against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, 14 January. On the day by exactly 2 p.m. at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in northern Abidjan, they will be experimenting with the possibility.

Well, the fans can only keep their fingers crossed. While looking forward, have a peek into what the goal celebration will be from your favourite players.

Ahmed Musa – Be inspired by the right fist gesture of the Super Eagles skipper Ahmed Musa. It is an invitation to his team to keep the goals coming in like him. If anyone is going to get on the scoring sheet, it is the Sivasspor Kulübü Turkiye Süper Lig forward who has shown himself to be dependable. Hopefully, his rizz will galvanise his teammates to deliver the goods.

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Victor Osimhen – Having been named the best player on the African continent in 2023, hardly is it a surprise that the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen spotted a happy child smile in his goal celebration. That is what his body language would have depicted across a touchline if a camera found him gesturing to the crowd in excitement.

William Paul Ekong – Intensity matched with zeal is the image that sticks when picturing William Paul Ekong’s energy. His function as a defender for Northern Greece-based PAOK FC relegates him to guarding the goalpost against an attack but in case he scores in Nigeria’s Sunday AFCON match, the stadium watching would have felt the breath of a lion when it roars.

Francis Uzoho – No one goes into a match, be it the player or the fans, thinking their team’s goalkeeper will score a goal, nonetheless we won’t shut the door on such possibilities. Maybe the Nigerian fans will finally forgive him for letting in that long-range Thomas Partey shot when the Super Eagles faced neighbouring rivals, Ghana when playing a World Cup qualifier match against them in March 2022. Also making a firm grip with his fist, there will be a charming grin if the Omonia Nicosia goaltender should score.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.