“I pray that the Eagles will take the match more seriously and not underrate The Stallions otherwise they will be in trouble," Chukwu warns.
Chukwu, who captained Nigeria to its first Nations Cup title in 1980 and was assistant coach when Nigeria won the second in 1994, notes that both teams now have good knowledge of each other, having faced each other in the group stage of the competition.
"The two teams will want to settle scores this time around, after battling to a 1-1 draw at the group stage of the tournament. They have known us and we have known them. It is an indication that our group was the toughest in the tournament."
The former Enugu Rangers skipper however stated that he was confident of Nigeria's ability to win the competition for a third time.
"Considering the current form and the high morale of our boys, I am optimistic that we will come out victorious against The Stallions.
"Our attackers have started pumping in goals and the team in general has been improving with each game. If they maintain this form, they will be unstoppable," Chukwu says.
