Tochukwu Nnadi has expressed his delight after making his home debut for the Super Eagles in Nigeria’s 3-1 victory over Tanzania in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The 23-year-old midfielder, who returned to Nigeria’s starting lineup for the first time since featuring in the 2-1 friendly defeat to Portugal in June, admitted that having his family watch him represent the country made the occasion even more special.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Fans Tribe, Nnadi revealed that making his home debut in front of Nigerian supporters and his family was one of the moments he had been looking forward to, particularly after missing the previous AFCON qualifying matches through injury.
“I’m happy making my home debut, in front of the Nigerian fans, my family was here also to watch the game. It’s one of the reasons why I’m playing football, to see my family and friends happy,” he said.
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“The last AFCON qualification games, I didn’t come because I had an injury. All I wanted was to bring my family to see me play and they were here. So I’m happy to make my home debut and I hope to have more games with the Super Eagles,” Nnadi added.
Nnadi featured for 45 minutes against Tanzania before being replaced at half-time alongside Alhassan Yusuf in a double substitution that saw Moses Usor and Tolu Arokodare introduced. Reflecting on his performance, the midfielder discussed his responsibilities in Eric Chelle’s 4-4-2 diamond formation, explaining the importance of movement and rotation to create spaces on the pitch.
“We play a 4-4-2 diamond. With the 4-4-2 diamond we should have rotation, trying to find spaces on the pitch which I did. I wasn’t happy with the 45 minutes, I wish I could get more minutes. But at the end we won 3-1,” he said.
Looking ahead to Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, the 23-year-old insisted that the Super Eagles must approach their remaining fixtures one game at a time, with victory in all three matches enough to guarantee their place at the tournament.
“We just have to win every game, one game at a time. On the 17th we play another game against Tanzania, I hope we win. Then we wait for the next game. For sure, we’re hoping to qualify but game by game we’ll see what happens,” he stated.
Nnadi also expressed his willingness to play in different positions to help the team, insisting that he is comfortable operating as either a defensive or central midfielder.
“I don’t mind playing anywhere, I just want to run. I can play number 6, number 8 but not number 10. I just need freedom without the ball and with the ball, I know what I have to do.”
The Super Eagles currently sit second in Group L with six points, one behind leaders Guinea-Bissau. Nigeria will now travel to Zanzibar to face Tanzania on Tuesday, November 17, knowing that another victory would keep them firmly in contention for the group’s sole qualification ticket to the 2027 AFCON.
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