Samuel Chukwueze has declared that it is a ‘dream’ to be an AC Milan player, and also admitted that he feels the need to win the African Cup of Nations to make his absence worthwhile.
Chuwkueze started the latter two of Nigeria’s three group stage games at AFCON, the back-to-back 1-0 victories against the Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau which followed the opening 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea.
The Super Eagles are thus in the knockout stages with seven points out of nine, and they will face off against one of the pre-tournament favourites in Cameroon on Saturday night.
It is certainly a stark contract to Ismael Bennacer’s time at the competition so far, given that Algeria failed to win a single game and thus crashed out as the bottom team in their group.
Chukwueze spoke while at the training retreat with the Nigerian national team, giving an interview to ASN Sports TV with his comments relayed by Calciomercato.com.
Do you prefer LaLiga or Serie A?
“It depends, I prefer both, in Spain everything is done more with the ball. In Italy everything is more physical, it’s a question of adaptation. For me it’s a new challenge, now I know a little more but I think I have to continue to work to adapt.”
What is it like being at Milan?
“When in the museum I saw the seven Champions Leagues, the Ballon d’Ors it was a fantastic feeling because Milan is one of the biggest clubs in the world, with visibility, where Van Basten, Kakà, Sheva played… So there is a little bit of pressure and everything, but for me it’s a dream come true.”
How has your AFCON adventure been?
“I can’t leave Milan to come here without winning this trophy because I really need it. I want to make my country proud, so I can’t come here to waste my club’s time for nothing, I have to fight for my position and win.”
