Success Makanjuola would lead out the Olympic Eagles against the junior Taifa Stars of Tanzania today in Ibadan in the second round-second leg qualifiers towards the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be held in Morocco in 2023 but the CD Diocesano striker reckoned being captain of the coach Salisu Yusuf-led side is never a burden to his budding career.
The aggressive attacker first made a huge impression with the Golden Eaglets then under coach Emmanuel Amuneke but inevitably missed out of the team that eventually won Nigeria’s record fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup at Chile 2015.
Seven years on, the 21-year-old Makanjuola aka ‘The Light’ is undoubtedly one of the leading lights of the national under-23 team’s quest for a ticket to the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco which is the qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics Football Tournament
Despite Nigeria being the first to win Africa’s first Olympic soccer gold medal at Atlanta 1996 event, the ever-smiling Makanjuola is optimistic that his Olympic Eagles’ class is at the ready to battle their way to Paris 2024.
“It is not really a pressure for me to captain the Olympic Eagles,” the former Abuja-based Water FC striker said in an interview.
Of course, it can be a bit heavy when you carry the weight of the nation on your shoulders but the pressure become lighter when you look around the team, the coaches as well as the technical crew .
“ So, I am not feeling any pressure because of the people I am working with rather it’s a pleasure to be the captain of the Olympic Eagles,” the CD Diocesano striker remarked.
Remarkably, it was ‘captain fantastic’ Makanjuola that did open Nigeria’s goal account of this campaign from the spot in their Second Round first leg 1-1 draw against Tanzania last weekend in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking ahead of today’s second leg encounter at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Makanjuola has assured Nigerians that the Olympic Eagles would win because they are a better team than their East African opponents.
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