Scoring the opening goal of the competition on home soil is something the 28-year-old star never imagined.

The forward will be key in the group stages’ most anticipated clash when they take on the Super Eagles on Thursday, 18 January at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe.

CAFOnline sits down with the Al Nassr striker ahead of the clash to get his thoughts on the fixture and the competition.

How does it feel to be the very first goalscorer of the competition, especially at home as is the case for you?

It’s a lot of pride because we know what is expected of us in this competition. It’s quite emotional because it happens to be the biggest competition that everyone is watching.  But it’s also good teamwork and preparation from the team.

Can you describe this goal to us in your own words?

First of all, it’s a very good feeling, it’s always been a dream to participate in the AFCON and especially at home. It gives a little more emotion, then we think back to when we were still kids, we saw this competition on TV. So being here and seeing all the excitement around these matches, it’s a feeling that is strong and incredible.

I've already gotten people used to scoring this kinds of goals. It remains a collective action where we do very good pressing and afterwards, winning balls and taking shots. I am very to have scored and I hope that it will give me even more confidence for the future.

What is the atmosphere like within your group?

It's a very good atmosphere, we are very good, we feel good at the hotel, there is good chemistry between the players and we are focused on preparing as best as possible for each meeting.

You won your first match against Guinea-Bissau, tomorrow you will face Nigeria, an opponent that is highly rated. Are you ready for this match which promises to be even tougher?

I know how decisive this match is, Nigeria wants to win this match and they are a very big opponent. We are ready, there is no doubt about it. It will be up to us to approach the match work hard  for a victory.

Your objective, obviously, is to win the trophy at home, do you think you have the means to achieve this?

That, I don't know. I think we have to take it match by match. We shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves either. The most important thing is to have fun, perform well every time and let time tell us what will happen.

Do you have any personal ambitions for this TotalEnergies CAF AFCON?

Yes, if you ask this to anyone everyone, they will tell you that we all have personal goals. Today, I don't think it's a good idea to reveal them, but I remain someone who doesn't set limits because I'm an ambitious person. I have faith, so we will see how this all develops.

At 28, you are playing your first TotalEnergies CAF AFCON. What does this competition mean to you?

It's a lot of pride. I know how some of our nation’s great players always wanted to win this AFCON and unfortunately, there are some who did not win and when we have discussions with them, we see how much they really wanted it. My goal is to make sure everything goes well. But I think that participating in the AFCON and seeing all the excitement around this competition is an incredible feeling and also seeing people teasing each other on the social networks can also be funny at times.

If you had a message for the supporters whose hopes you carry, what would it be?

It would be to always come in large numbers to the stadium. No matter the challenges the team experiences. We are doing it for them. No matter what happens in the end, we must ensure that this AFCON was the best in history.