Emmanuel Emenike: I play for the people back home

 
Emmanuel Emenike spoke to Fifa.com ahead of the Crucial second match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Super Eagles played a 0-0 draw in their first game against Iran and will need to get a win later tonight to increase their chances of going through, as the last game will be against Lionel Messi inspired Argentina.

After the Iran lackluster performance by the Super Eagles, fans and football lovers all over Nigeria have been criticizing their disappointing performance.

“You can't hide from pressure. Football is a game of pressure. Everyone expects big things from you.” Emenike said in reacting to the criticism.

The Fenerbache striker feels he and his teammates must take it in their stride. “When things don't go well, everyone speaks, everyone talks the way they like,” he told FIFA.

“But what can you do? You just have to carry on working hard, that's all you can do. The pressure has to be there. The match didn't go the way we wanted, we just have to carry on and win the Bosnia and Herzegovina game and see what happens. The game against Iran was disappointing.” 

“Nigeria is a football-loving country and even for U17 or U20 matches everyone locks up their shops,” the joint top-scorer at last year's CAF Africa Cup of Nations explained. “Even the people on the street go in to watch Nigeria play, so we always want to try our best to make the country happy, because everyone always wants to watch Nigeria play and always wants us to do well.”

He also spoke on the team unity and how the other players reacted to the barren draw against the Asians.

“The unity is still there,” the 27-year-old said. “I think the first few seconds after the Iran game, the spirit in the changing room was a little bit low, but now, seeing it yesterday and today, even in training, everyone is fighting.” 

On the more experienced players in the team, Vincent Enyeama and Joseph Yobo , Emenike said they talk to the younger players and try to ease the pressure.

“They always speak to us and try to advise us, especially Yobo as the captain.”

“I always try to prove myself and to be there, to play for Nigeria because I play for the badge,” he declared with passion. “I play for the people back home, who are watching us on the screen. That is all I can say.” Emenike concluded