Nigeria winger, Samuel Chukwueze has said that Nigeria will beat South Africa without going into penalties when both teams clash in the semi-final at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, on Wednesday.
The AC Milan star also dismissed the notion that Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams is a penalty-saving specialist ahead of Nigeria’s clash with South Africa.
Recall that Williams etched his name into the history books as the first goalkeeper to ever save four penalties in a single AFCON shootout as South Africa beat Cape Verde 2-1 on penalties in the quarter-final to set up a semi-final meeting with Nigeria.
“Penalty is a game of luck, anybody can miss. It is the one he [Williams] saw that he saved,” Chukwueze told Hot Sport’s Toyin Ibitoye.
“I’m not saying he is not a good goalkeeper, he is actually a good goalkeeper, but the most important thing is for us to win in 90 minutes or 120 minutes. We will win without going into penalties.
“It is not about being scared, it is about being on a safer side at the moment. We have been watching their clips, they are good on their own, but we will try our best and win.”
AFCON: We’ll beat South Africa without going into penalties – Nigeria’s Chukwueze talks tough