Nigeria started the tournament with a disappointing draw against Equatorial Guinea, which brought their title credentials into question.
The team however responded with a stunning performance against the hosts and should have won by a bigger margin, if they had converted their chances.
“We played with our hearts. This game (against Cote d’Ivoire) shows we are ready to fight for Afcon,” he said.
The victory improved Nigeria’s points tally to four, and the team could finish top of Group A with a win against Guinea Bissau; and depending on the outcome of the other group game.
“This group is complicated but the most important game now is the last game. There is no small country in this Afcon and Guinea Bissau are good. We’ve played them twice in the qualifying and we lost one.
“We need to win the last game to top the group and ensure we qualify for the next round.”
